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All  Handsomely  Illustrated. 

LEE  &  SHEPARD,  Publishers,  Boston. 


TIKE      FOREST      GLEN      SERIES. 


FOREST  GLEN; 


OR, 


BY 


ELIJAH    KELLOGG, 

AUTHOR  OF  "ELM  ISLAND  STORIES,"  "PLEASANT  COVE  STORIES," 
"THE  WHISPERING  PINE  SERIES,"  ETC. 


Illustrated. 


BOSTON : 
LEE    AND    SHEPARD,    PUBLISHERS. 

^V  YORK<     »•,',    ''«    ;,  ;  ?, 
T.  ,T 


COPYRIGHT, 

1877, 
BY  ELIJAH  KELLOGG. 


PREFACE. 


THE  story  here  presented  not  only  grasps  those 
terrible  vicissitudes  in  which  the  frontier  life  of  our 
forefathers  was  so  prolific,  but  at  the  same  time  con- 
veys many  useful  lessons  and  incentives  to  manty  effort, 
and  much  curious  information  in  relation  to  a  period  in 
the  history  of  Pennsylvania,  when  her  soil  was  occupied 
by  a  population  comprising  many  different  races  and 
religious  sects,  having  little  in  common,  and  held  to- 
gether by  the  fearful  pressure  of  an  Indian  war. 

Here  we  behold  the  strange  spectacle  of  the  Quaker 
tilling  his  land,  and  pursuing  his  ordinary  duties,  while 
his  more  belligerent  neighbor  sleeps  with  the  rifle  with- 
in reach  of  his  hand,  sits  in  the  house  of  God  with  the 
weapon  between  his  knees,  goes  armed  in  the  funeral 
procession,  which  is  often  attacked,  the  mourners  killed, 
scalped,  and  flung  into  the  grave  of  the  corpse  they 
were  about  to  inter. 

The  noble  response  of  the  Delawares  to  the  appeal 
of  the  Quakers  evinces  that  the  red  man  is  no  less 

484073 

LIBRARY 


6  PREFACE. 

sensitive  to  kindness,  than  implacable  in  revenge; 
capable  of  appreciating  and  manifesting  the  most  ten- 
der and  generous  sentiments. 

Our  breasts  throb  with  sympathetic  emotions,  as, 
after  having  noted  with  interest  the  progress  of  the 
strife,  we  see  this  determined  band  emerge  in  triumph, 
with  thinned  ranks  but  courage  undiminishcd,  from 
the  terrible  ordeaL 


CONTENTS. 


CHAPTEB  L 
XHK  BREWING  OF  THE  STORM 11 

CHAPTER  IL 
THUNDER  FBOM  AFAB 22 

CHAPTEB  in. 

FOREWARNED 30 

CHAPTEB  IV. 
PREPARING  FOB  THE  WORST 43 

CHAPTER  V. 
THE  STORM  BURSTS 66 

CHAPTEB  VL 
GATHERING  COURAGE  FBOM  DESPAIR 73 

CHAPTEB  VIE. 
A  CONTRAST    .    .........     83 

CHAPTEB  VTH. 
TREADING  Our  THE  GBATN 91 

CHAPTEB  EX. 
A  LITTLE  SUNSHINE 102 

CHAPTEB  X. 
LIBERTY  is  SWEET 115 

CHAPTEB  XL 
THE  BAFT 129 

7 


8  CONTENTS. 

PAGE 

CHAPTER  XH. 
A  DAT  or  UNALLOYED  PLEASURE 143 

CHAPTER  Xin. 
IT  GIVE  IT  UP 156 

CHAPTER  XIV. 
THB  BEAN-POT 167 

CHAPTER  XV. 
THE  SURPRISE 177 

CHAPTER  XVI. 
THK  DAW*  or  A  LIFE-PURPOSE 193 

CHAPTER  XVIL 
SELF-RELIANCE 209 

CHAPTER  XVIII. 
FRUITS  or  PATIENCE  AND  PERSEVERANCE  .......    228 

CHAPTER  XIX. 
TRIUMPH  or  THOUGHT  AND  INGENUITY 248 

CHAPTER  XX. 
UNCLE  SETH'S  SURPRISE «    .    264 

CHAPTER  XXI. 
NED  RANGELT 273 

CHAPTER  XXH. 
CARRYING  THE  WAR  INTO  AFRICA 294 

CHAPTER  XXIII. 
THE  QUAKER'S  APPEAL  TO  THE  DELA WARES  ......    909 

CHAPTER  XXIV. 
THE  RETURN  OF  THK  CAPTIVE    ...  ,    .    .    323 


FOREST  GLEN; 

OR, 

THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP. 


FOREST  GLEN; 

OB,    - 

THE   MOHAWK'S   FRIENDSHIP. 


CHAPTER    I. 

THE   BREWING  OF   THE  STORM. 

OUR  story  opens  at  that  period  of  the  year 
when  summer  is  fast  verging  to  autumn. 
As  the  wind  that  had  blown  fresh  during  the 
night  diminished,  about  eleven  o'clock  in  the  fore- 
noon, to  a  gentle  breeze,  the  heat  in  the  valley  of 
Wolf  Run,  hemmed  in  by  mountains,  became  ex- 
cessive.    Corn-blades  rolled  up,  pitch  oozed  from 
the  logs  of  which  the  houses  were  built,  all  broad- 
leaved  plants  wilted,  and   the  high  temperature 
was  adapted  to  produce  an  unusual  sluggishness. 

Stewart,  who  held  the  day-watch  at  the  fort, 
seated  on  the  platform  over  the  gate,  was  sound 
asleep.  Half  a  dozen  sheep  lay  in  the  shade  of 

11 


12  FOREST  GLEX;    OR, 

the  walls,  panting,  with  mouths  wide  open.  Not 
a  person  was  to  be  seen  in  the  vicinity  of  the 
houses  or  in  the  fields.  Not  a  rooster  had  suffi- 
cient courage  to  crow,  or  even  a  dog  to  hark. 
The  windmill  inside  the  stockade  made  one  or  two 
revolutions ;  but,  as  the  wind  died  away,  gave  up 
Avith  a  groan,  and  remained  motionless. 

Tin.1  profound  silence  Avas  rudely  broken  by  the 
successive  discharge  of  fire-arms.  The  sentinel 
a\voke,  and  grasped  his  rifle ;  but,  after  listening  a 
feAV  moments,  settled  back  in  his  corner,  and  was 
soon  once  more  asleep.  TAVO  of  the  sheep  rose 
up,  but  in  a  few  moments  lay  down  again. 

The  firing  continued  at  interA'als  for  more  than 
an  hour,  no  notice  being  taken  of  it  by  the  sentry, 
who,  in  the  mean  time,  finished  his  nap. 

If  our  readers  Avill  go  Avith  us  in  the  direction 
of  the  river,  AVC  Avill  endeavor  to  find  out  what  it 
is  all  about,  and  shall  perceive  that  the  settlers 
A\rre  improving  the  leisure  interval  between  hay 
and  grain  harvest,  in  making  preparations  for 
future  exigencies. 

On  a  level  plat  of  ground,  not  far  from  the 
bank  of  the  river,  Avere  assembled  a  band  of  lads 
from  twelve  to  fifteen  years  of  age,  engage.!  in 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  13 

firing  at  a  mark,  while  several  of  the  settlers  were 
seated  011  the  grass,  looking  at  them. 

The  fearful  peril  of  their  position,  together  with 
their  inferiority  in  numbers,  had  compelled  the 
parents  to  train  their  children  to  arms,  even  at 
that  tender  age ;  and,  though  unable  to  hold  out  a 
gun  steadily,  they  were  no  mean  marksmen  when 
shooting  from  a  rest. 

These  little  folks  had  organized  themselves  into 
a  company,  with  the  ferocious  title  of  "  The 
Screeching  Catamounts,"  in  rivalry  of  the  older 
boys,  who  styled  themselved  "  The  Young  De- 
fenders." 

They  had  hewn  the  bark  and  sap-wood  from  a 
lone  pine,  and  a  black  spot  in  the  centre  of  the 
white  wood  served  as  a  target.  Eighty-five  yards 
was  the  distance  for  a  smooth  gun,  while  for  rifles, 
with  which  some  of  the  boys  were  armed,  it  was  a 
hundred.  A  rest  was  made  by  driving  two  stakes 
into  the  ground,  and  putting  a  withe  across  for 
them  to  fire  over.  Sam  Sumerford,  Archie  Craw- 
ford, and  Tony  Stewart  hit  the  black  circle, 
though  neither  of  them  in  the  centre,  but  not 
varying  half  an  inch ;  several  touched  the  edge  of 
it ;  and  no  one  missed  the  tree,  although  one  or 


14  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

two  put  their  balls  in  the  bark,  outside  the  white 
spot,  or  "  blaze "  as  it  was  called  in  frontier 
phrase. 

They  next  engaged  in  throwing  the  tomahawk ; 
after  which,  forming  ranks,  the  band  marched  to 
the  fort,  and  deposited  their  arms. 

It  is  needful  briefly  to  inform  those  who  have 
not  read  the  previous  volumes,  of  the  circum- 
stances of  the  settlers  to  whom  they  are  rather 
abruptly  introduced,  and  the  probable  nature  of 
those  exigencies  in  view  of  which  they  had  long 
been  making  preparations. 

When  the  Indian  war  broke  out,  the  Provincial 
government  gave  up  the  original  frontier,  from 
which  nearly  all  the  settlers  who  survived  the 
Indian  attack  had  already  fled,  and  established  a 
line  of  forts  nearer  the  old  settlements,  behind 
which  it  was  supposed  the  savages  would  not 
penetrate,  and  where  the  fugitives  might  cultivate 
the  land  in  comparative  safety. 

This  system  of  defence  had,  upon  trial,  proved 
utterly  inadequate.  The  greater  part  of  the 
money  raised  for  that  purpose  was  expended  at 
the  very  outset  in  building,  arming,  and  provis- 
ioning the  forts ;  and  even  then  they  were  but 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  15 

scantily  provided,  either  with  arms  or  ammuni- 
tion. A  commissioner  reported  that  in  one  of 
them  he  found  but  four  pounds  of  powder.  Flints 
were  often  wanting ;  many  of  the  guns  were  unfit 
for  use,  the  locks  in  some  instances  being  fastened 
on  with  strings.  So  great  was  the  poverty  of  the 
Province,  that  a  man  who  brought  his  own  gun 
and  blanket  was  allowed  a  dollar  per  month  for 
their  use  above  his  pay.  In  addition  to  this,  the 
forts  were  eight,  ten,  sixteen,  and  even  twenty 
miles  apart.  The  great  cause  of  all  the  destruc- 
tion of  life  and  property  that  took  place  arose 
from  the  want  of  any  military  organization. 

The  original  population  of  Pennsylvania  were 
entirely  opposite  in  all  their  views  and  practices  to 
the  settlers  of  Virginia,  Maryland,  and  the  New- 
England  States,  who  came  armed  and  prepared 
for  self-defence  or  conquest.  But  the  government 
of  Pennsylvania  was  based  upon  the  principle  of 
non-resistance.  The  Quakers  came  unarmed ;  and, 
as  they  made  no  resistance,  so  they  gave  no  offence. 
They  did  as  they  would  be  done  by,  while  the 
savages  on  their  part  did  as  they  were  done  by ; 
and  thus  matters  went  on  smoothly  for  nearly 
seventy  years. 


16  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

In  process  of  time,  other  races  came  in,  and 
people  with  other  views.  The  Scotch  and  Irish 
settlers,  and  those  from  Maryland,  Virginia,  and 
the  New-England  States,  who  were  by  no  means 
careful  of  giving  offence,  looked  upon  the  natives 
as  vermin  to  be  extirpated  like  the  wolves  and 
bears,  to  make  room  for  others.  Though  in  a 
minority,  they  inflicted  injuries  upon  the  Indians, 
and  stirred  them  up  to  revenge. 

But  the  bulk  of  the  population  were  Quakers, 
Germans,  Swedes,  and  English.  The  Germans 
only  desired  to  till  the  ground,  with  no  wish  to 
fight,  unless  compelled  to  in  self-defence.  The 
English  and  Swedes  were  much  of  the  same  mind. 
Thus  while  the  Indians,  through  a  series  of  years, 
had  been  irritated,  there  was  in  the  Province  no 
militia-law :  the  inhabitants  were  incapable  of  act- 
ing in  concert ;  and,  when  the  storm  long  brewing 
burst,  were,  as  a  whole,  defenceless,  unarmed,  and 
divided  in  sentiment,  and  ran  at  the  attack  of  the 
Indians  like  sheep  before  wolves. 

It  was  from  such  a  population  that  the  majority 
of  the  men  to  man  the  forts  and  protect  the  coun- 
try must  be  drawn,  the  hunters,  trappers,  and 
Scotch-Irish  preferring  to  defend  their  own  farni- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  17 

lies,  or  to  go  on  scaiping-expeditions,  which  were 
vastly  more  profitable  than  serving  for  the  small 
pay  given  the  soldiers ,  and  there  was  no  law  to 
compel  service. 

When  the  forts  were  built,  it  was  supposed  that 
the  garrisons  in  them,  by  patrolling  from  one  to 
another,  would  keep  back  the  savages.  It  was  also 
made  the  duty  of  the  commanders  in  the  several 
forts  to  detail  a  certain  portion  of  their  men  to 
protect  the  farmers  while  planting  and  gathering 
their  harvest,  as  well  as  promptly  furnish  a  refuge 
to  which  the  inhabitants  might  flee  in  case  of  an 
invasion. 

We  shall  now  see  how  comparatively  useless 
this  method  of  defence  was,  because  there  was  no 
militia-law,  and  in  the  population  none  of  the  spirit 
which  such  a  law  creates.  Forts  are  of  little  use 
without  suitable  soldiers  to  defend  them.  A  few 
facts  would  set  this  matter  in  a  striking  light, 
and  afford  our  readers  a  clear  view  of  the  situa- 
tion. 

The  commissioner  appointed  to  examine  the  con- 
dition of  the  forts  reported :  At  Fort  Lebanon  he 
called  out  the  men,  and  put  up  a  mark  for  them  to 
fire  at  eighty  yards  distant,  and  but  fifteen  out  of 


18  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

twenty-eight  could  hit  within  two  feet  of  the 
bull's  eye.  At  Fort  Allemingle,  he  put  the  mark 
on  a  tree  eighty-five  yards  distant ;  and  only  four 
out  of  twenty-five  hit  the  tree,  and  not  one  the 
bull's  eye.  So  much  for  the  marksmanship  of  these 

% 

fort  soldiers :  now  for  their  courage. 

It  is  on  record  that  Hugh  Micheltree  was  at- 
tacked by  Indians  within  speaking  distance  of 
Patterson's  fort ;  and  though  he  begged  the  men 
in  the  fort  to  rescue  him,  telling  them  there  were 
but  six  Indians,  they  had  not  the  courage  to  leave 
the  fort,  but  permitted  the  savages  to  take  him  off 
before  their  eyes. 

Forts  were  often  built  at  gaps  of  mountain- 
chains  for  the  purpose  of  commanding  these  pass- 
es. Those  might  have  been  formidable  obstacles 
to  regular  troops  encumbered  with  baggage  and 
artillery,  but  not  in  respect  to  savages.  Every 
place  is  a  pass  to  an  Indian  with  a  little  parched 
cum  in  his  pouch,  and  armed  with  rifle  and  toma- 
hawk:  ho  sets  i'ortli,  and  neither  swamps,  moun- 
tains, nor  rivers  bar  his  progress  when  on  the 
war-path.  He  can  eat  ground-nuts,  mice,  frogs, 
wood-worms,  or  snakos  :  nothing  comes  amiss;  or, 
if  afraid  of  discovering  his  whereabouts  by  dis- 
charging his  rifle,  he  can  kill  game  with  the  bow. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  19 

Noiselessly  as  the  gliding  snake  they  passed  be- 
tween the  forts,  easily  eluding  the  scouts  posted 
on  so  long  and  thin  a  line,  and  were  often  butch- 
ering the  inhabitants  in  one  direction  while  the 
scouts  were  looking  for  them  in  another. 

The  history  of  that  period  records  that  in  sev- 
eral instances  while  a  band  of  soldiers  from  the 
forts  were  guarding  farmers  gathering  their  har- 
vest, the  Indians  have  crept  up,  shot  the  soldiers, 
and  afterwards  butchered  the  farmers  thus  left  de- 
fenceless. 

The  Indians,  whom  nothing  escaped,  often  im- 
proved the  opportunity,  when  the  number  of  a 
garrison  was  reduced  by  details,  to  attack  the 
forts. 

Ascertaining  that  there  was  but  a  small  sup- 
ply of  ammunition  in  Fort  Granville,  they  attacked 
and  took  it,  when  twenty-three  men,  three  women, 
and  several  children  fell  into  their  hands.  After 
promising  to  spare  the  lives  of  the  garrison  if  they 
would  surrender,  they  fastened  to  a  post  the  very 
man  who  opened  the  gate  for  them,  and  thrust 
red-hot  gun-barrels  through  his  body. 

A  very  different  sort  of  people  from  those  just 
described,  were  the  settlers  of  the  Forest  Glen  ; 


20  I'OKKST    (iT.KX;    OK, 

rough-handed,  high-spirited  men  of  the  frontier, 
who  could  plant  the  second  bullet  in  the  same 
hole  with  the  first,  and  drive  it  home.  Disdaining 
the  aid  of  soldiers  whom  they  held  in  utter  con- 
tempt, they  had  thus  far,  though  suffering  fearful 
losses,  held  their  own,  inflicting  more  injuries  than 
they  received,  and  had  been  busily  employed  for  a 
few  weeks  in  putting  themselves  in  a  posture  of 
defence  preparatory  to  gathering  the  harvest. 

Rilles  had  been  put  in  order,  tomahawks  ground, 
the  roofs  of  the  buildings  fresh  plastered  with  clay 
mortar  as  a  protection  against  the  fire-arrows  of 
the  Indians,  and  gun-flints  manufactured  from 
Indian  arrow-heads  by  Holdness  to  eke  out  their 
scanty  supply,  and  the  woods  and  ravines  care- 
fully examined  every  day  to  detect  signs  of  lurk- 
ing savages.  Though  the  settlers  were  living  in 
their  own  houses,  for  the  greater  convenience  of 
harvesting,  the  cattle  were  driven  at  night  to  the 
garrison. 

Notwithstanding  their  preparations  for  a  stout 
defence,  the  settlers  could  not  avoid  anxiety,  in 
view  of  the  fact  that  the  savages  had  during  the 
last  few  months  changed  their  method  of  attack. 
Finding  that  the  log  houses  of  the  whites,  when 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  21 

resolutely  defended,  bade  defiance  to  the  efforts  of 
their  scalping-parties,  consisting  usually  of  but 
twelve  or  fifteen,  they  had  latterly  come  in  bodies 
of  seventy  and  even  a  hundred,  often  led  by  French 
officers,  with  French  soldiers  in  their  ranks,  and 
bringing  field-pieces. 

There  were,  however,  no  signs  of  perturbation, 
and  whatever  anxiety  they  felt  was  manifested 
only  in  increased  watchfulness ;  and  many  of 
them,  having  completed  their  preparations  for 
defence,  occupied  themselves  in  clearing  land  for 
future  crops,  a  portion  keeping  watch  while  the 
rest  labored. 

Others  devoted  the  time  to  rest,  perhaps  consid- 
ering it  very  doubtful  if  the  isolated  settlement 
survived  the  attacks  that  were  to  be  expected 
during  harvest. 

We  trust  that  what  has  been  said  will  render 
the  story  that  follows  intelligible  to  those  not 
familiar  with  the  other  volumes  of  this  series,  or 
the  history  of  the  period. 


FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 


CHAPTER  II. 

THUNDER   FROM   AFAR. 

PERHAPS  many  of  our  readers  would  like  to 
know  how  Mr.  Seth  Blanchard  (who  was 
the  only  man  in  the  Glen  not  possessed  of  fighting 
qualities)  was  busying  himself  all  this  time. 

They  doubtless  recollect  that  when,  after  a  des- 
perate effort,  the  mill  was  nearly  completed,  the 
settlers  placed  the  upper  stone  on  the  spindle  by 
fastening  a  hide  rope  to  wooden  pins  in  the  edge 
of  the  stone,  and  then  putting  a  long  lever  into 
the  bight  of  the  rope. 

In  a  regularly  constructed  mill,  this  is  done  by 
means  of  an  iron  bale  or  crane,  and  an  iron  screw 
working  in  the  crane,  or  by  a  tackle  attached 
to  the  crane.  The  stone,  being  lifted  from  the 
spindle  in  this  manner,  can  be  easily  swung  off  by 
moving  the  crane,  and  turned  c*ver  in  the  bale  in 
order  to  pick  the  under  side.  They  had  used  up 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  23 

every  particle  of  iron  in  building  the  mill,  and 
been  reduced  to  the  greatest  straits  for  want  of 
that  necessary  article. 

When,  after  much  labor  and  contrivance,  the 
stone  was  safely  landed  on  the  spindle,  Mr.  Seth 
said,  — 

"By  the  time  this  stone  needs  picking,  I'll 
make  a  bale  to  take  it  off  and  put  it  on  without 
an  ounce  of  iron." 

Honeywood,  who  was  a  blacksmith,  laughed  at 
him,  and  said  it  was  impossible;  to  which  Mr.  Seth 
replied,  — 

"A  man  who  has  always  worked  in  iron  has 
very  little  idea  of  what  can  be  done  with  wood." 

He  was  now  leisurely  at  work,  redeeming  that 
pledge.  Having  procured  from  the  woods  a  rock- 
maple  tree  of  suitable  shape,  he  made  a  crane  of 
proper  size  and  shape  to  swing  over  the  stone, 
hewing  the  timber  to  a  proud  edge,  and  working 
it  smooth  with  adze  and  plane.  In  that  portion 
of  the  arm  that  when  the  crane  was  set  up  would 
come  directly  over  the  centre  of  the  stone,  he 
made  a  five-inch  hole,  perfectly  smooth  and  plumb, 
and  cut  a  screw-thread  on  the  inside  of  it  with  a 
rude  machine  of  his  own  invention. 


24  FOEEST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

His  next  labor  was  to  make  a  screw  to  work  in 
this  arm  ;  and  he  made  it  from  a  piece  of  timber 
that  In.-  had  blocked  out  when  the  mill  was  built, 
and  put  away  to  season. 

While  thus  engaged,  Mr.  Seth  had  the  company 
and  heartfelt  sympathy  of  all  the  children  of  any 
size  in  the  Run,  and  most  of  their  elders,  as 
there  were  but  very  few  in  the  settlement  who 
had  ever  seen  a  screw-thread  cut,  or  even  a  wooden 
screw. 

When  the  crane  was  put  in  its  place,  the  screw 
entered  in  the  arm,  and  Mr.  Seth  turned  it  up  and 
back  again,  that  the  spectators  might  see  the 
working  of  it,  those  who  had  said,  and  at  the  time 
firmly  believed,  that  it  was  impossible  for  him  or 
any  one  to  make  a  wooden  bale  that  would  take 
off  a  mill-stone,  began  to  change  their  opinions. 

Tony  Stewart  probably  expressed  the  general 
sentiment  when  he  exclaimed,  "  Zukkers !  a  man 
what  can  do  that  can  do  any  thing!  Can't  he, 
Sammy?  " 

With  his  usual  consideration  for  the  wishes  of 
children,  Uncle  Seth  fastened  a  two-bushel  basket 
to  the  screw,  and,  packing  it  full  of  children,  turned 
up  the  screw.  The  mill  floor  was  quite  large ;  and 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  25 

the  children  had  plenty  of  fun  riding  in  the  bas- 
ket, and  pushing  the  crane  round  by  turns. 

After  waiting  till  the  children  had  scre\ved  up 
and  swung  each  other  round  on  the  crane  a  while, 
Mr.  Seth  left  the  place,  telling  them  they  need  not 
come  to  the  mill  any  more,  as  he  should  not  begin 
on  the  bale  at  present. 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Seth  and  his  brother 
Israel  ground  their  axes,  and  started  for  the  woods 
to  fell  trees  for  a  burn,  expecting  to  find  other 
neighbors  there,  and  a  guard.  They  had  gone  but 
a  little  way,  when  Mr.  Seth  said,  — 

"Israel,  I  sha'n't  be  able  to  go,  at  least  this 
forenoon.  See  yonder  wind-clouds  :  there's  quite  a 
breeze  now ;  and  I've  several  grists  in  the  mill  that 
the  neighbors  want  ground.  I  must  go  to  the 
mill." 

It  was  soon  known  in  the  neighborhood  that 
the  mill  was  going;  and  persons  were  seen  ap- 
proaching it  from  different  directions,  some  because 
they  had  business  there,  and  some  to  talk  over 
matters  of  common  interest  with  others  whom 
they  expected  to  find  there. 

Most  of  them  were  the  older  members  of  the 
community ;  the  young  men  being  on  the  scout 
that  day,  or  guarding  those  chopping. 


26  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

"•  Neighbors,"  said  MeClure,  seating  himself 
upon  a  bag  of  meal,  with  his  rifle  across  his  knees, 
"  have  you  heard  the  news  ?  " 

"Where  should  we  get  news,  who  are  a  hun- 
dred miles  from  anywhere,  and  cut  off  from  all 
the  rest  of  mankind?"  said  Proctor. 

"  I  spoke  to  Honeywood  as  I  came  along.  He 
was  out  on  the  scout  yesterday :  he  told  me  he 
met  Dick  Ellison  and  sixteen  men.  Dick  has 
been  one  of  the  Black  Rifle's  men.  Dick  told 
him  the  Indians  had  murdered  twenty-eight  peo- 
ple at  Shamakin;  that  they  took  their  trail,  but 
couldn't  overtake  'em,  they  had  so  much  start." 

"  Then  they  must  have  been  in  strong  force.  I 
wonder  how  many  Indians  'twould  take  to  kill 
twenty-eight  men  like  us?" 

"'Twould  take  five  hundred,  if  we  had  a  fort 
overhead,  Proctor;  but  you  can't  judge  of  their 
numbers  by  the  people  killed:  most  like,  there 
wasn't  more'n  ten  or  twelve  Indians,  and  the  peo- 
ple they  killed  were  German  farmers  with  some 
old  gun,  —  the  lock  too  weak  to  throw  the  pan 
open,  — or  only  a  pitchfork  to  defend  themselves 
with,  and  skeered  ter  death  at  that ;  or  else  they 
were  fort 'soldiers,  that  ain't  better'n  our  children 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.   •          27 

would  be,  nor  half  so  good,  only  let  'em  have  a 
rest  to  fire  from." 

"  What  else  did  Dick  say  ?  " 

"  He  said  the  governor  had  offered  a  bounty  for 
sculps.  For  every  Indian  man,  or  boy  over  ten 
years  old,  one  hundred  fifty  dollars;  for  every 
squaw,  or  girl  over  ten,  one  hundred  thirty  dol- 
lars; for  the  sculp  of  every  Indian  man,  or  boy 
over  ten,  one  hundred  thirty  dollars ;  and  for 
every  squaw's  or  girl's  sculp,  fifty  dollars.  Dick 
reckoned  there  wouldn't  be  many  prisoners  taken 
on  that  lay." 

"  Of  course  there  wouldn't.  What  a  fool  a 
ranger  would  be  to  take  an  Indian  prisoner,  have 
to  feed  him  and  watch  night  and  day,  run  the 
risk  of  his  getting  away,  or  of  being  killed  by  him 
in  the  night,  and  have  to  carry  him  perhaps  a  hun- 
dred miles  to  a  government  fort  to  get  one  hun- 
dred fifty  dollars,  or  one  hundred  thirty  if  'twas 
a  woman,  when  he  could  get  one  hundred  thirty 
or  fifty  for  their  sculp  that  are  nothing  to  carry, 
and  could  hang  fifty  on  'em  to  your  belt,  and  no 
trouble  'cept  to  knock  'em  on  the  head,  and  take 
the  sculp  off! " 

"  Honey  wood,"  continued  McClure,  "  thinks,  af- 


28  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

tor  hearing  this  news,  we  ought  not  to  wait  to 
get  the  harvest,  but  go  into  the  garrison  right  off. 
He  savs,  and  it's  a  fact,  that  McDonald  and  his 
family  were  all  murdered  last  year,  just  by  staying 
out  one  day  too  long." 

"  Did  he  say  where  the  Black  Rifle  was  ?  "  asked 
Armstrong. 

"At  his  cave  in  the  mountain:  he's  going  ter 
stop  there  quite  a  while." 

"  Then  we  sha'n't  be  troubled  with  Indians  as 
long  as  he's  round." 

"  Don't  be  too  sure  of  that :  they've  found  out 
that  it  don't  pay  to  come  as  they  used  to,  in  small 
numbers ;  and  now  it's  said  there  are  from  seventy 
to  a  hundred  and  fifty  Indians  under  one  of  their 
chiefs." 

"  There  were  five  hundred  French  and  Indians 
at  the  taking  of  Fort  Granville.  Such  a  crowd  as 
that  wouldn't  pay  much  attention  to  the  Black 
Rifle,"  said  Wood. 

"  We've  given  them  cause  enough  to  dread  and 
hate,  and  want  to  wipe  us  out.  They've  driven 
all  the  other  settlers  out  of  the  valley,  or  butch- 
ered 'em.  They  know  very  well  that  we  are 
planted  out  here  beyond  all  help,  or  hope  of  it ; 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  29 

and  I  believe  our  turn'll  come  to  take  it  worse 
than  ever  before  during  this  harvest  time,"  said 
Mr.  Seth. 

"  The  women,"  said  Proctor,  "  hate  mortally  to 
go  into  garrison.  It  is  hot  in  the  block-houses, 
they  have  no  place  to  keep  their  milk,  the  chil- 
dren torment  them  to  death,  and  they're  afraid  of 
the  garrison-fever  at  this  time  of  year.  I  think, 
however,  'tis  better  to  go  into  the  fort  than  to  be 
listening  for  the  war-whoop,  or  looking  to  see  if 
the  fire's  not  flashing  out  'twixt  the  rafters,  all  the 
time  you  are  harvesting." 

"  Well,  neighbors,"  said  McClure,  "  all  here  are 
agreed  about  it,  and  I  have  spoken  to  the  others : 
they  think  as  we  do,  and  we  kalkerlate  to  go  inter 
the  fort  day  after  to-morrow  at  the  outside  ;  and 
I'm  going  ter  leave  my  grist  in  the  mill,  then 
'twill  be  here." 

Mr.  Seth  had  finished  grinding  ;  and  they  all 
left  the  mill  to  prepare  for  the  worst,  except  Proc- 
tor, whose  turn  it  was  to  keep  guard  that  night. 
One  man  was  kept  on  guard  at  the  mill,  even 
when  the  settlers  were  in  their  own  dwellings,  to 
open  the  gate,  and  fire  the  alarm-gun  in  case  of 
need. 


30  FOREST  GLEN;    OB, 


CHAPTER   III. 

FOREWARNED. 

WHEN  the  settlers  left  the  fort  in  the 
spring,  Honeywood  moved  into  the  house 
of  his  father-in-law,  Israel  Blanchard,  his  own 
dwelling  being  at  a  greater  distance  from  the  fort 
than  any  other  at  the  Run.  He,  however,  became 
tired  of  going  so  far  every  day  to  his  work,  and 
chose  to  go  back  to  his  own  home  when  he  had 
recovered  from  a  wound  received  in  a  skirmish 
with  the  Indians  in  hoeing-time.  His  family  con- 
sisted of  himself,  wife,  and  two  children  ;  the  eld- 
est boy  about  six,  the  other  a  little  child. 

Cul  Holdness  had  come  over  to  take  supper 
with  them;  and,  having  despatched  the  meal,  they 
were  variously  occupied. 

The  mother  was  undressing  Eddie,  and  the 
youngest  child  was  asleep  in  the  cradle.  Cal's 
rifle  was  out  of  order ;  and  he  had  brought  it  with 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FIIIENDSHIP.  81 

him,  that  Harvey  might  repair  it.  He  laid  the 
weapon  across  his  knees,  and  proceeded  to  take  off 
the  lock,  Cal  holding  a  lighted  sliver  of  pitch- 
wood  to  give  him  light.  It  was  a  sultry  night, 
and  the  house,  built  of  hewn  timber,  excessively 
warm.  The  doors  and  bullet-proof  shutters  being 
closed,  there  was  no  ventilation  except  by  means 
of  the  chimney,  and  the  loop-holes  which  were 
only  large  enough  to  admit  the  barrel  of  a  rifle. 
Honeywood,  noticing  the  drops  of  perspiration  on 
the  face  of  his  wife,  said,  — 

"  Sarah,  I've  a  good  mind  to  open  the  door :  see 
how  that  child  in  the  cradle  sweats,  and  you  are 
well-nigh  roasted.  If  I  open  the  door  'twill  make 
a  good  draught  up  the  chimney,  and  cool  the  house 
off  for  the  night." 

"  Don't,  husband,  I  beg  of  you :  it's  just  the 
time  of  year  when  Indians  are  most  likely  to  come  ; 
we've  just  heard  that  they've  been  killing  people 
at  Shamakin.  It's  not  long  since  they  took  Fort 
Granville,  and  killed  all  the  garrison  but  one ;  and 
this  very  day  you've  been  telling  the  neighbors 
that  we  ought  to  go  into  the  fort,  and  not  wait  to 
reap  the  grain  first ;  and  now  you  want  to  open 
the  door,  and  there  may  be  a  dozen  Indians 


32  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

around  it.  Have  you  forgotten  that  this  very  last 
spring  Mr.  Maccoy's  family  were  sitting  one  even- 
ing with  the  door  open,  and  an  Indian  was  creep- 
ing up  to  it,  when  the  Black  Rifle  shot  him,  or 
they  would  all  have  been  murdered?  I  know  it's 
warm,  but  I  had  rather  bear  the  heat  than  have 
YOU  open  the  door." 

"  I  don't  think  there's  any  danger :  there's  two 
of  us  here." 

"  My  rifle  can't  be  depended  upon,"  said  Cal. 

"  But  there  s  two  more  loaded  in  the  brackets, 
and  two  smooth-bores;  and  we're  not  obliged  to 
sit  near  the  doors." 

"  Oh,  don't,  husband !  an  Indian  always  seems 
to  me  just  like  the  Evil  One :  you  can't  hear  or 
see  him  till  he  is  upon  you.  They  may  be  lurking 
round  the  house  this  moment."  She  had  scarcely 
finished  when  there  was  a  loud  rap  on  the  door. 

Cal,  placing  the  pine  sliver  in  a  stone  made  to 
hold  it  on  the  hearth,  took  a  rifle  from  the  wall. 
Honey  wood  said,  "  Who  is  there  ?  " 

"  Wasaweela,"  was  the  reply  in  the  unmistakable 
tone  and  accent  of  a  savage. 

"  We  shall  be  murdered,"  cried  Mrs.  Honey- 
wood,  catching  the  sleeping  child  from  the  cradle. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  33 

"  O  Edward !  fire  right  through  the  door,  and  kill 
him." 

"  I  shall  do  no  such  thing  :  he's  an  old  friend  of 
mine  ;  "  and  he  instantly  began  to  unbar  the  door. 
His  wife  ran  into  the  bedroom  with  the  child  in 
her  arms,  little  Eddie  following  in  his  nightgown, 
holding  fast  to  his  mother's  clothes,  and  screaming 
lustily  in  concert  with  his  brother.  Cal  Holdness, 
on  the  other  hand,  a  true  frontier  boy  cradled 
amid  alarms,  restored  to  the  bracket  the  rifle  he 
had  held  ready  to  fire. 

As  the  door  opened,  an  Indian  stepped  in,  so 
very  tall  (though  he  stooped  considerably  as  he 
entered)  that  the  single  feather  on  his  scalp-lock 
brushed  the  lintel.  He  was  not  painted  for  war ; 
naked  except  a  breech-cloth ,  and  his  only  arms 
were  the  knife  and  tomahawk  in  his  belt.  His 
moccasons  and  leggings  were  torn,  and  his  whole 
body  reeking  with  perspiration,  as  though  he  had 
undergone  great  and  prolonged  exertion.  He, 
in  the  language  of  the  Mohawks,  greeted  Honey- 
wood,  who  replied  in  the  same  tongue. 

After  drinking  some  water,  he  took  the  seat 
offered  him,  and  remained  silent  some  time,  either 
to  collect  his  thoughts,  as  is  customary  with  In- 


o4  FOREST    <;LKN  ;    Oil, 

dians,  who  are  never  in  haste  to  speak,  or  perhaps 
to  regain  his  breath ;  while  Honeywood,  familiar 
with  the  customs  of  the  savages,  waited  till  he 
should  see  fit  to  sp'eak. 

Mrs.  Honeywood  was  a  woman  of  fortitude, 
reared  on  the  frontier;  but  the  news  of  recent 
murders  by  the  Indians,  the  knowledge  that  her 
husband,  a  most  resolute  man,  had  warned  his 
neighbors  that  no  time  should  be  lost  in  getting 
into  garrison,  coupled  with  the  sudden  appearance 
of  the  Indian,  all  conspired  to  excite  her  fears 
till  they  were  beyond  control.  She  had  also  been 
brought  up  with  such  prejudices,  that  it  was  almost 
impossible  for  her  to  believe  that  any  confidence 
could  be  safely  reposed  in  a  savage.  But  observ- 
ing that  the  Indian  was  not  in  his  war-paint,  but 
partially  armed,  that  he  manifested  no  concern 
when  her  husband  barred  the  door,  thus  placing 
himself  entirely  at  the  mercy  of  him  and  Cal,  also 
recollecting  that  she  had  seen  him  at  her  father's, 
and  how  faithfully  he  at  that  time  performed  an 
engagement,  her  fears  subsided,  and  she  began  to 
soothe  the  terrified  children. 

Meanwhile  every  feature  of  Cal's  countenance 
manifested  the  intense  desire  he  felt  to  know  the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  35 

meaning  of  this  singular  and  abrupt  visit,  for  it 
was  evident  enough  that  his  was  no  idle  errand ; 
neither  could  he  sufficiently  admire  the  noble  pro- 
portions of  a  form  in  which  strength  and  agility 
were  so  happily  blended. 

At  length  rising  to  his  feet,  he  said,  "  Brother, 
listen.  We  have  eaten  of  each  other's  bread,  drank 
of  the  same  cup,  and  spread  our  blankets  at  the 
same  fire.  Though  the  Great  Spirit  has  made  us 
of  a  different  color,  we  are  one  in  heart." 

Extending  his  hand  as  he  uttered  these  words, 
it  was  grasped  by  Honeywood.  He  then  pro- 
ceeded, "  Brother,  open  your  ears.  Your  king  and 
the  French  king  have  dug  up  the  hatchet.  The 
Delawares,  Shawanees,  Monseys,  and  some  other 
Indians,  have  joined  the  French.  They  have 
struck  the  English  very  hard,  and  killed  their 
great  chief  who  came  over  the  water.  The  Dela- 

•v 

wares  and  Shawanees  have  taken  the  scalps  of  a 
great  many  of  your  people,  and  driven  them  from 
the  land  that  the  Delawares  say  belongs  to  them, 
and  that  your  people  took  and  never  paid  for.  Is 
it  not  so?  " 

Hone}*wood  made  a  gesture  of  assent. 

"  The  Six  Nations  do  not  like  the  French.     We 


36  FOKilST    (JLKX;     OR, 

have  struck  them  very  hard  in  days  that  are  past; 
but  we  do  not  wish  to  interfere  in  the  quarrel  be- 
tween the  thirteen  fires  and  the  Delawares,  though 
the  Delawares  are  our  nephews. 

"  We  cannot  always  keep  our  young  men  in 
subjection :  therefore  some  of  them  may  have 
gone  with  the  Delawares  and  the  French.  This 
we  cannot  help :  we  did  not  send  them  ;  if  you 
take  their  scalps,  it  is  no  cause  for  quarrel  between 
us. 

"  Brother,  open  your  ears.  The  Delawares  and 
Shawanees  have  struck  your  people,  and  you  have 
done  the  same  to  them,  and  struck  the  Dela- 
wares much  harder  than  they  have  struck  you; 
you  are  great  warriors.  The  Six  Nations  do  not 
think  it  right  or  just  that  the  pale-faces  should 
take  the  land  of  the  Delawares  without  paying 
them  for  it :  therefore  they  look  on,  and  let  them 
strike  you.  You  are  my  brother ;  I  know  you  to 
be  a  just  and  brave  man,  though  you  live  among 
very  bad  people :  therefore  I've  run  a  great  ways 
and  very  fast  to  tell  you  that  the  Delawares  are 
coming  to  take  your  scalp  and  the  scalps  of  all 
your  people,  that  their  young  men  whose  scalps 
your  people  have  taken  may  rest  in  their  graves." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  37 

"  I  thank  you,  brother.  When  will  the  Dela- 
wares  come  ?  " 

"  At  break  of  dny,  after  the  sun  comes  and 
goes." 

"  How  many  of  them  ?  " 

The  Mohawk  took  from  his  pouch  seven  kernels 
of  parched  corn,  placed  them  in  a  row  on  the  table, 
and  spread  out  his  fingers  over  them,  saying,  — 

"  So  many  Delawares." 

Then,  taking  away  all  but  two  of  the  kernels, 
he  again  spread  his  fingers,  saying,  "So  many 
Shawanees,"  and  then  signified  that  there  would 
be  the  same  number  of  Monseys.  Honey  wood 
then  inquired  if  there  would  be  any  French  offi- 
cers or  soldiers  with  them,  to  which  the  Mohawk 
replied  that  there  would  not. 

"It  is  well,  brother :  we  will  be  ready." 

While  all  were  attentively  listening,  the  littlo 
child  had  left  the  mother's  side  (who  was  too 
much  occupied  with  the  fearful  tidings  to  heed  his 
motions),  and,  venturing  farther  and  farther,  at 
length  crept  to  the  feet  of  the  Indian,  and  began 
playing  with  his  leggings,  which  were  of  a  bright 
red  color. 

The   little   creature,  gradually  becoming   more 


38  FOREST   GLEN;    OE, 

bold,  at  length  stood  up  on  his  feet  by  holding  the 
lacings  of  the  leggings,  and  looked  proudly 
aronnd,  crowing  and  laughing,  no  doubt  think- 
ing himself  the  central  figure  of  the  group,  and 
the  object  of  universal  attention. 

"  One  hundred  and  ten  raging  Indian*  !  Our 
time  has  come :  we  shall  all  be  murdered !  "  ex- 
claimed the  mother. 

Honeywood  set  food  before  the  Mohawk,  then 
took  off  his  moccasons,  which  were  worn,  and. his 
leggings,  and  gave  him  some  water  for  his  feet. 
The  Indian  signified  his  wish  to  sleep  till  within 
an  hour  of  daybreak.  Honeywood  spread  blankets 
on  the  floor,  promising  to  watch,  and  rouse  him  at 
the  proper  time.  Wasaweela,  wrapping  himself  in 
a  blanket,  was  asleep  in  a  moment.  Tlie  others 
retired  to  the  bedroom,  where  they  conversed  in 
low  tones. 

"Sarah,  you've  heard  your  father  say  many 
times,  and  you,  Cal,  have  also  heard  your  father 
say,  if  an  Indian  war  should  break  out,  that  this 
Mohawk  who  then  hunted  with  me,  and  was 
apparently  so  friendly,  would  be  the  very  first  to 
take  my  scalp  and  those  of  my  family.  Now  you 
see  what  he  has  done,  —  travelled  through  woods 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  39 

and  swamps,  forded  or  swum  rivers,  much  of  the 
time  on  the  run  night  and  day,  to  save  the  life  of 
one  (and  the  lives  of  his  family)  who  had  merely 
treated  him  kindly." 

"Isn't  he  a  noble-looking  man?"  said  Cal. 
"  Isn't  he  handsome,  beautiful  ?  What  an  arm 
and  leg  he's  got!  and  his  breast,  and  so  tall  — 
just  as  straight  as  a  pine-tree.  Didn't  you  see 
him  smile  when  the  baby  stood  up  and  held  on 
to  his  leggings  ?  and  what  a  pleasant  smile  it  was 
too  !  Oh,  I  wish  I  was  such  a  man !  " 

Cal's  conception  of  beauty  lay  in  thews  and 
sinews. 

"  But,  husband,  what  will  become  of  us  ?  A 
hundred  Indians,  only  think  of  it !  —  seventy  Del- 
awares,  twenty  Shawanees,  and  twenty  Monseys ; 
and  the  Delawares  are  the  most  bloodthirsty  of 
all.  It  seems  to  me  that  you  or  Cal  ought  to  go 
this  moment,  and  rouse  the  neighbors,  and  get 
into  the  fort  before  morning :  you  might  both  go, 
but  I  couldn't  be  left  alone  with  this  Indian." 

"  Not  after  he  made  such  efforts  to  save  you  and 
the  children's  lives  ?  " 

"  No :  I  suppose  I  ought  not  to  feel  so,  but  I 
cannot  help  it." 


40  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

"  There's  no  cause,  wife,  for  alarm,  nor  for 
haste.  There  are  no  Frenchmen  coming,  and  of 
course  there  is  no  artillery.  The  fort  is  well 
prepared  for  a  much  longer  siege  than  is  to  Le 
apprehended  from  Indians.  It  is  well  provided 
with  water,  provisions,  and  ammunition ;  and  we 
are  all  at  home,  and  every  man  fit  for  duty,  not 
a  disabled  man  amongst  us.  There's  time  enough 
to  move  after  daylight." 

k%  Most  of  our  provisions  are  in  the  fort  now," 
said  Cal ;  "  never  have  been  taken  away.  Every 
family  can  move  in  three  hours." 

"If,"  continued  Iloneywood,  "they  could  have 
come  upon  us  by  surprise,  and  caught  each  family 
in  their  o\vn  home,  our  case  would  have  been  a 
desperate  one ;  but,  forewarned  and  prepared,  it  is 
entirely  another  matter.  Now,  wife,  you  and  Cal 
had  better  try  to  get  some  rest,  for  to-morrow  will 
be  a  busy,  trying  day." 

"  I  can  lie  down ;  but  as  for  sleeping,  it's  no 
use  to  think  of  it." 

"  Well,  lie  down,  then  :  'twill  rest  you." 

"I'll  divide  the  watch  with  you,  Mr.  Iloney- 
wood," said  Cal ;  "  and  when  I  think  by  the  moon 
it's  twelve  o'clock,  I'll  call  you." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  41 

Honey  wood  went  to  bed,  and  slept  as  soundly 
as  though  no  danger  threatened  him  or  his.  Such 
is  the  result  of  strong  nerves,  and  familiarity  with 
peril.  His  wife,  on  the  other  hand,  lay  sleepless ; 
or,  if  for  a  few  moments  she  dozed,  would  awake 
with  a  start,  imagining  she  heard  the  sound  of  the 
war-whoop. 

At  midnight  Cal  woke  Honeywood,  but,  in- 
stead of  going  to  bed,  lay  down  on  the  floor,  as 
he  wished  to  be  at  hand  when  the  Mohawk  left, 
and  to  witness  the  parting. 

He  was  unwilling  to  lose  any  opportunity  of 
contemplating  a  being  who  by  his  splendid  physi- 
cal proportions,  and  the  noble  qualitis^  of  his 
heart,  had  quite  won  the  affections  of  the  enthu- 
siastic youth. 

Honeywood  woke  the  Mohawk,  and  placed  food 
before  him,  of  which  the  latter  partook  heartily ; 
he  also  presented  him  with  a  new  pair  of  mocca- 
sons  and  leggings,  to  replace  his  that  were  so 
much  torn ,  also  a  pipe  filled  and  lighted.  After 
smoking,  apparently  with  great  satisfaction,  he 
rose,  drew  his  belt  round  him,  and,  extending  his 
hand  to  Honeywood,  said,  — 

"  Brother,  be  strong :  the  Delawares  are  many, 


42  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

but  they  are  cowards ;  we  have  put  the  hoe  in 
their  hands,  and  made  women  of  them.  It'  they 
master  your  scalp,  your  people  will  revenge  your 
death.  Farewell."  With  the  noiseless  step  of  a 
savage  he  left  the  house,  and  disappeared  in  the 
shades  of  the  forest. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  43 


CHAPTER   IV. 

PREPARING   FOR   THE   WORST. 

IT  was  fortunate  for  these  settlers,  that,  in  view 
of  contingencies,  they  had  made  thorough 
preparations  for  defence. 

By  noon  of  that  day  their  household  effects  had 
been  removed  to  the  fort,  troughs  filled  with 
water  to  extinguish  fire,  and  the  cannon  in  the 
flankers  loaded. 

"  Neighbors,"  said  Honeywood,  "  there  are  too 
many  of  them  for  us  to  meet  in  the  field.  If  we 
wait  in  the  fort  for  them  to  attack  us,  they'll  first 
burn  our  houses  and  barns,  kill  the  cattle,  tread 
down  or  pull  up  the  corn :  that  is  too  green  to 
burn,  but  the  grain  is  not.  And  we  shall  have  to 
look  on  and  see  it  done.  Rather  than  do  that,  I 
counsel  we  ambush  their  advance :  it  is  possible 
we  may  rout  them  altogether ;  and,  if  not,  we  can 
fall  back  to  the  fort." 


44  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"I,"  said  McClure,  "like  Honeywood's  plan, 
and  I  don't  like  it:  there's  much  to  be  said  on 
both  sides.  I  know  very  well  that  if  we  don't 
make  any  fight  except  behind  the  walls  of  the 
fort,  they'll  destroy  every  thing  outside  of  it ;  but 
suppose  they  do :  we're  not  going  to  quite  starve. 
It's  no  great  to  build  up  the  log  houses  again.  A 
good  part  of  our  hay  is  inside  the  stockade,  and 
we  could  get  the  cattle  through  the  winter  on 
browse ;  we've  considerable  of  last  year's  corn, 
grain,  and  pork,  in  the  garrison  ;  we  can  drive  the 
hogs  and  cattle  inside ;  and,  though  it  would  be  a 
dreadful  calamity  to  lose  our  corn  and  grain,  we 
could  keep  life  in  us  by  hunting. 

"  Now  as  consarns  ambushing,  we  of  course 
should  take  but  part  of  our  force,  and  leave  the 
rest  in  the  fort ;  and  that  part  would  be  so  small, 
that  if  there's  as  many  Indians  as  the  Mohawk 
said,  they  would  be  surrounded  and  killed  with- 
out making  much  impression  on  the  Indians ;  and 
that  would  leave  a  very  weak  garrison  to  hold  so 
large  a  fort." 

"•Indians,"  said  Armstrong,  "always  march  in 
Indian  file,  except  they're  going  to  attack,  or 
apprehend  danger,  when  they  corne  two  abreast. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  45 

They'll  be  likely  to  come  now  in  Indian  file  till 
they  cross  the  river,  'cause  they  expect  to  surprise 
us.  In  that  case  there  wouldn't  be  rifles  enough 
to  kill  many,  'cause  you  can't  take  aim  right  in 
the  night ,  and  firing  at  men  in  a  long  line  is  not 
like  firing  into  a  crowd,  when  if  you  miss  one 
you'll  hit  another.  They  would  know  by  our  fire 
that  our  number  was  small,  and  would  take  trees 
till  daylight,  and  then  surround  us." 

"  What  do  you  say,  Brad  ?  "  inquired  McClure, 
appealing  to  Holdness. 

"  I'm  in  favor  of  the  ambush.  You  see,  they're 
coming  down  here  with  a  force  large  enough  to 
divide,  and  then  attack  every  house  at  once. 
The  Mohawk  says  there  are  seventy  Delawares. 
These  Delawares  were  driven  off  from  here :  they 
know  every  inch  of  the  ground,  every  house  and 
every  man,  and  can  guide  the  rest.  It  would  be  a 
great  backer  ter  'em  when  they  expected  ter  find 
us  all  in  our  houses  unprepared,  and  ter  wipe  us 
out  as  easy  as  a  man  would  snuff  a  candle,  and 
pay  off  old  scores,  ter  be  ambushed  themselves, 
and  met  with  a  rattling  volley ;  and  they  might 
break,  and  give  it  up." 

"  But,   neighbors,   that's    all   perhaps :    there's 


46  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

another  thing  that  ain't.  One  hundred  nor  five 
hundred  Indians  can't  drive  us  out  of  this  fort ; 
and  in  it  our  families  are  safe  if  we  are  there  to 
defend  it.  If  we  were  all  single  men,  I'd  say, 
Ambush  'em  ;  let's  have  a  right  up-and-down  light, 
and  try  their  mettle :  and  I'm  for  it  now,  if  we 
can  reduce  the  risk  for  the  women  and  children 
in  any  way." 

"  The  greatest  difficulty  'bout  an  ambush,"  said 
Blanchard,  "  is,  we  don't  know  which  way  they'll 
come.  The  Mohawk  told  Honey  wood  they  would 
start  from  their  town  Kittanning;  but  whether 
they'll  take  either  of  the  war-paths,  or  come 
through  the  woods  where  there  is  no  path,  we 
can't  tell." 

"  Whichever  way  they  come  in  the  daytime," 
said  Armstrong,  "  when  at  night  they  come  near 
to  us,  they'll  take  the  path  that  leads  direct  to  the 
ford.  There's  so  many  of  'em,  they'll  be  bold : 
they  won't  hesitate  to  take  the  water  at  the  regu- 
lar fording-place,  because  they  know  the  country 
is  all  their  own,  and  that  they've  killed  or  driven 
off  all  but  us." 

"  Why  not  lay  an  ambush  there,  where  we  can- 
not be  flanked,  because  we  shall  have  the  stream 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  47 

at  our  backs,  nor  be  so  far  away  but  what  we 
can  fall  back  and  reach  the  fort  ?  " 

"We  must  of  course  fall  back  if  the  Indians 
don't,"  said  Grant ;  "  and  then  we  shall  be  exposed 
to  their  fire  while  we  are  crossing  the  river,  when 
they'll  be  under  cover,  and  probably  but  very  few 
of  us  would  get  across.  I  should  like  to  have  one 
slap  at  'em.  They'll  take  very  good  care  to  keep 
out  of  rifle-shot  of  the  fort ;  and  all  we  can  do 
will  be  to  stand  on  the  platforms  and  grind  our 
teeth,  while  they  are  burning  our  houses  and  de- 
stroying our  crops." 

"  I  see  there's  but  one  feeling  among  us,"  said 
Honey  wood :  "  that  is,  to  preserve  our  crops  if  it 
can  be  done  without  risking  the  lives  of  our  house- 
hold. Suppose  we  do  this :  Let  one  party  lay  in 
ambush  at  the  ford  among  the  bushes  and  drift 
timber  on  the  edge  of  the  bank  on  the  side  next 
the  fort,  and  another  party  lay  in  ambush  on  the 
opposite  bank  in  the  woods ;  then  both  parties  hold 
their  fire  till  a  good  many  Indians  are  in  the  water 
crossing,  and  then  open  fire  on  them.  It  will  be 
a  great  deal  lighter  on  the  river  than  in  the  woods, 
as  there  will  be  part  of  a  moon  ;  and,  looking  out 
of  the  darkness  into  the  light,  we  can  see  them 


48  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

better  than  they  can  see  ns.  So  heavy  a  fire  as 
both  parties  can  throw  will  stagger  them  ;  and  in 
surprise  they  will  fall  back,  as  Indians  always  do 
when  they  lose  men.  Then  the  party  on  the 
western  side  can  recross,  join  the  others,  and  we 
can  hold  the  ford,  or  retreat  to  the  fort,  as  we 
think  best." 

"  I  like  that,"  said  Holdness :  "  then  the  party 
on  the  western  bank  can  be  protected  while  cross- 
ing by  the  fire  of  the  others,  if  the  Indians  attack 
'em  in  the  water." 

"  Harry  Sumerford,"  said  Grant,  "  you  seem  to 
have  something  on  your  mind,  and  we  would  like 
to  hear  it." 

"  I  think  there  are  people  here  whose  opinions 
are  of  much  more  value  than  mine,  Mr.  Grant. 
I  was  going  to  say  that  Dick  Ellison  told  Mr. 
Honeywood  that  the  Black  Rifle  was  at  his  place 
in  the  mountains,  and  was  going  to  stay  there 
quite  a  spell.  Now,  he  generally  has  ten  or  a 
dozen  men  that  he  can  lay  his  hands  on  when  he 
wants  'em  for  a  scalping-scrape,  and  perhaps  they 
might  help  us.  They  are  men  to  be  depended 
upon,  or  the  Black  Rifle  would  have  nothing  to 
do  with  them." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  49 

"I'll  go,"  said  Nat  Cuthbert:  "I  know  the 
road." 

"  Take  my  horse,"  said  Armstrong,  "  and  ride 
for  your  life,  and  all  our  lives  :  if  you  kill  him,  no 
matter." 

"  What  shall  I  say  to  him  ?  " 

"  Just  tell  him  a  hundred  Indians  are  on  the 
road  from  Kittanning,  to  attack  us  at  daybreak 
to-morrow  morning.  He'll  know  what  ter  do  ;  and 
he'll  want  no  coaxing  ter  come  ter  such  a  party, 
I  kin  tell  you,"  said  Holdness. 

"  If  I  ain't  back  by  midnight,  you  may  know 
he's  coming,  and  that  Fm  coming  with  him." 

"  Where  were  all  our  wits,  that  we  could  none 
of  us  think  of  that,"  said  Honey  wood,  "when  Dick 
told  me,  and  I  told  the  rest  of  you,  that  the  captain 
was  about  getting  up  a  seal  ping-party?  God  grant 
they  may  not  have  started  before  Nat  gets  there !  " 

"  He  may  be  alone,"  said  Grant;  "may  not  have 
got  his  party  together  yet." 

"  If  he  is  alone,"  said  Holdness,  "  he'll  come: 
and  his  war-whoop  is  worth  a  dozen  men.  There 
ain't  an  Indian  this  side  the  Monongahela,  but 
knows  the  Black  Rifle's  .yell,  for  it  don't  sound 
like  any  thing  else  in  this  world  ;  and,  when  they 
hear  it,  they'll  think  their  game  is  up." 


50  FOREST    GLEN  ;    Oil, 

The  settlers  now  proceeded  to  make  their  final 
arrangements.  To  Honey  wood  were  assigned 
Harry,  Alex  and  Enoch  Sumerf'ord,  Ned  Arm- 
strong, Hugh  Crawford,  jun.,  Stewart,  James 
Blanchard,  Cal  Holdness,  Andrew  McClure,  and 
nearly  all  Harry's  company  of  the  "  Young  Defend- 
ers." This  was  done  because  these  youth  had 
been  engaged  together  in  several  sharp  conflicts 
with  Indians,  had  been  accustomed  to  act  together 
under  the  command  of  Harry,  and  had  always 
come  off  victorious.  They  were  also  greatly  at- 
tached to  Honeywood,  and  reposed  the  most  im- 
plicit confidence  in  his  judgment  and  courage. 

The  other  party  consisted  of  Holdness,  McClure, 
Grant,  sen.,  Ben  Rogers,  Wood,  Holt,  Maccoy, 
Armstrong,  Proctor,  and  Heinrich  Stiefel. 

Israel  Blanchard  was  left  in  command  of  the 
fort.  With  him  was  his  brother  Seth  (who  was  of 
no  account  as  a  fighting  man),  Daniel  Blanchard, 
and  the  boys  who  had  been  drilled  to  fire  from  a 
rest,  had  participated  in  several  actions,  some  of 
whom  had  been  wounded,  of  which  they  were 
sufficiently  proud.  This  band  comprised  all  the 
"  Screeching  Catamounts.'' 

These  two  parties,  who  were  to  meet  a  hundred 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  51 

and  ten  Indians,  all  picked  men,  were  in  the  pro- 
portion of  more  than  five  savages  to  one  of  tk-3 
settlers :  yet  so  high  was  their  courage,  and  so  in- 
ured were  they  to  danger,  that  when  they  might 
have  remained  behind  their  defences,  and  repulsed 
the  foe,  they  hesitated  not  to  take  the  fearful  risk, 
rather  than  see  their  grain  destroyed  when  almost 
ready  for  the  sickle. 

"  I  have  thought  of  another  thing,"  said  Hold- 
ness,  as,  after  having  selected  the  place  for  ambush, 
they  were  returning  to  the  fort.  "  You  know  for 
the  last  year  we've  been  taking  more  or  less 
smooth-bores  and  rifles  from  the  Indians  we've 
killed;  then  we've  all  got  more  than  one  gun 
apiece  that  we  had  before  the  war  broke  out ;  and, 
when  we  went  after  the  salt,  we  bought  more : 
now  we  kin  take  two  rifles,  or  a  rifle  and  a  smooth- 
bore  apiece,  and  then  leave  extra  arms  in  the  fort 
for  the  women  ter  load  or  use  if  worst  comes  ter 
worst ;  and  that  will  be  almost  the  same  as  doubling 
our  forces,  at  any  rate  for  the  first  fire." 

"  If,"  said  McClure,  "  instead  of  coming,  as  we 
expect,  before  or  about  the  break  of  day,  they 
should  not  get  along  till  after  sunrise,  they  would 
stop  short,  hide  in  the  woods,  and  put  off  their 


52  FOREST   GLEN;     OH, 

attack  till  the  next  morning  before  daybreak;  but 
then  they  would  send  scouts  ahead,  who'd  creep 
round  and  find  that  we  had  left  our  houses  and 
gone  ter  the  fort,  and  discover  our  ambush.'' 

"  Well,  I'll  send  Harry  and  Ned  Armstrong 
ahead,"  said  Iloneywood,  "  to  watch  their  motions, 
and  give  us  notice ;  and  then  we  must  retreat  to 
the  fort,  and  let  them  burn  and  destroy ;  for  it's 
no  use  for  us  to  think  of  fighting  such  a  host,  ex- 
cept we  can  surprise  them ;  for  if  we  stay  here,  and 
they  discover  us,  as  they  certainly  would  in  the 
daytime,  they  would  find  ways  to  cross  the  stream 
and  surround  us.  But  I  think  they  will  be  here 
at  the  very  time  the  Mohawk  said.  Indians  are 
not  like  a  regular  force,  that  are  liable  to  be  im- 
peded by  a  thousand  things,  under  the  command 
of  several  officers.  Nothing  stops  an  Indian  on  the 
war-path :  there  is  but  one  leader  and  one  mind 
among  'em." 

As  they  assembled  in  the  kitchen  of  the  fort 
that  night  for  supper,  it  seemed  well-nigh  certain 
that  some  of  those  seated  at  that  table  would 
never  eat  together  again ;  yet  the  men  ate  heart- 
ily, and  even  cheerfully.  But  it  was  a  solemn 
parting,  when,  soon  after  nightfall,  they  moved 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  53 

silently  from  the  fort,  in  Indian  file,  to  take  up 
their  positions. 

The  mothers  and  children  stood  at  the  gate 
watching  the  departing  forms  of  their  kindred  till 
they  could  no  longer  be  distinguished  ,  and  when 
the  great  bars  that  closed  the  entrance  were 
dropped  into  their  mortises  with  a  dull  thud,  it 
reminded  more  than  one  of  the  fall  of  clods  on 
the  coffin-lid. 

There  were  but  two  men  left  in  the  fort,  —  Is- 
rael Blanchard  and  Mr.  Seth.  As  for  the  negro, 
he  had  not  been  seen  since  the  inhabitants  went 
into  garrison. 

"  What  a  pity  Scip  is  such  a  miserable  coward  ! 
He  is  an  excellent  shot,  and  might  do  good  service 
at  the  loop-holes.  I  suppose  he's  hid  somewhere," 
said  Israel  Blanchard. 

In  this  state  of  things,  the  boys  held  the  watch ; 
and,  as  there  were  so  many  of  them,  they  stood 
but  an  hour  each,  Blanchard  keeping  guard  during 
the  two  hours  before  daybreak. 

The  women  were  busily  employed  scraping  lint, 
preparing  bandages  and  ointments,  the  virtues  of 
which  they  had  learned  from  the  Indians,  or  by 
long  experience  had  found  to  be  efficacious  in  the 


54  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

case  of  gun-shot  wounds.  It  was  a  season  of  anx- 
ious foreboding :  none  cared  to  converse,  and  they 
plied  their  labors  for  the  most  part  in  silence. 
The  only  exceptions  were  to  be  found  among  the 
boys,  who,  confident  in  the  prowess  of  their  fathers 
and  brothers,  elated  with  the  idea  that  they  were 
holding  the  fort  and  intrusted  with  guard-duty, 
seemed  raised  far  above  all  perception  of  danger 
or  possibility  of  mishaps,  and  were  in  a  state  of 
most  pleasurable  excitement. 

It  increased  the  sadness  of  their  parents  to  see 
them  thus ,  and  often  the  tears  sprang  to  the 
mother's  eyes  as  she  thought  of  the  terrible  fate 
that  awaited  them,  should  those  who  had  gone  out 
to  engage  in  such  an  unequal  conflict  be  over- 
come. 

Under  the  influence  of  these  depressing  anxie- 
ties, all  that  they  could  do  being  done,  Mrs.  Hon- 
eywood  proposed  that  they  should  go  into  the 
schoolhouse,  and  spend  a  season  in  prayer. 

Upon  this  Israel  Blanchard  said  to  Mr.  Seth, 
who  looked  pale  and  anxious,  — 

"  Brother,  you  had  better  go  with  the  women." 

"  You  mean,  Israel,  that  I  am  good  for  nothing 
else." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  55 

"  I  did  not  say  that ;  for,  if  He  who  made  you 
has  denied  courage,  he  has  given  you  grace. 
You're  a  better  man  than  I  am,  Seth,  —  better  fit- 
ted either  to  live  or  die.  Go  with  them ;  for  we 
need  divine  aid  now,  if  we  ever  did  since  we 
broke  ground  here." 

The  settlers  had  now  reached  their  positions, 
where  they  were  concealed  not  merely  by  trees 
and  underbrush,  but  by  large  quantities  of  drift- 
wood brought  down  by  the  floods,  and  left  on  the 
banks  by  the  falling  of  the  water.  Having  set 
their  watch,  the  rest  lay  down  and  slept  as  coolly 
as  though  their  own  lives  and  the  lives  of  those 
they  held  most  dear  were  not  at  stake. 

"  Ned,"  said  Holdness  to  Honey  wood,  "  they  pay 
us  a  fine  compliment,  coming  a  hundred  and  ten 
against  twenty,  for  these  Delawares  know  about 
what  our  number  is." 

"  True :  they  have  a  pretty  thorough  knowledge 
of  what  they  may  expect  at  our  hands." 


56  FOREST  GLEN;    OR, 


CHAPTER  V. 

THE   STORM   BURSTS. 

IT  was  little  past  midnight  when  Holdness,  who 
held  the  watch,  espied  two  persons  coming 
from    the    garrison,   who,    to    his    astonishment, 
proved  to  be  Tony  Stewart  and  Sam  Sumerford. 

"  Who  sent  you  here  ?  "  he  exclaimed. 

"  Where's  my  father  ?  "  inquired  Tony,  instead 
of  answering  the  question. 

"  On  the  other  side  of  the  river,  with  Mr.  Hon- 
ey wood." 

"Where's  our  Harry?"  said  Sam. 

"  He's  over  there  with  'em." 

"You  won't  tell  Tony's  father  nor  our  Harry 
that  we  are  here,  will  you,  Mr.  Holduess?  'cause 
we've  both  of  us  got  rifles,  and  we  want  to  kill  In 
dians.  You  know  Tony  killed  an  Indian  ;  and  I 
want  to  kill  one,  and  he  wants  to  kill  another.  We 
ain't  no  good  in  the  fort,  the  Indians  won't  come 
there :  we  want  to  be  where  the  Indians  come.'' 


THE  MOHAWK  S   FRIENDSHIP.  57 

"  Well,  now,  do  you  start  right  back  just  as 
quick  as  you  kin  go,  or  I'll  take  my  ramrod  to  you. 
Why,  your  mothers'll  be  worried  to  death  about 
you.  How  did  you  get  out  of  the  fort  ?  " 

"  We  came  out  when  all  the  rest  did." 

"  Where  have  you  been  all  this  time  ?  " 

"  We  went  into  Mr.  Armstrong's  barn,  and  went 
to  sleep  on  the  hay." 

"  Well,  go  right  back :  you're  no  use ;  you'll 
only  get  killed,  and  won't  do  any  good,  but  in  the 
fort  you  will.  Don't  go  up  ter  the  gate  till  day- 
light, for  Blanchard'll  shoot  you.  Go  back  to  the 
barn,  and  sleep  till  sunrise." 

Slowly  and  sulkily  the  boys  started  off  in  the 
direction  indicated  by  Holdness. 

"  What  little  tykes  they  are  !  if  that  ain't  grit, 
I'd  like  ter  know  what  is." 

Honeywood,  perceiving  by  the  moon  that  it  was 
not  far  from  daybreak,  roused  his  men.  Scarcely 
had  he  done  so,  when  Harry  and  Ned  Armstrong, 
who  had  been  sent  in  advance,  returned  to  report 
that  the  Indians  were  coming  along  the  ordinary 
path,  but  at  some  distance. 

Now  ensued  a  period  of  intense  expectation  : 
every  ear  was  strained  to  catch  the  faintest  sound 


58  FOREST   GLE>T;     OR, 

that  might  betoken  the  approach  of  the  foe.  But 
the  mighty  forest  was  silent  as  the  grave  ;  not  a 
breath  of  wind  stirred  the  foliage  ;  not  even  the 
howl  of  a  wolf,  or  the  cry  of  a  night-bird,  was 
heard.  The  light  murmur  of  the  stream  among 
the  rocks  that  here  and  there  strewed  the  shallows 
of  the  ford  alone  broke  the  silence  of  that  lovely 
morning,  that  seemed  made  for  repose,  not  slaugh- 
ter. 

The  day  was  now  breaking  fast;  and,  even 
amid  the  dim  shadows  of  the  forest,  objects  near 
at  hand  could  be  distinguished :  still  no  foe  ap- 
peared. 

At  length  the  cracking  of  a  dry  stick  was  heard, 
but  so  faintly  as  only  to  be  perceptible  to  the 
trained  ear  of  the  frontier-man ;  and  the  long  line 
of  dark  forms  came  gliding  along  the  path  noise- 
lessly as  the  panther  steals  upon  his  prey.  The 
foremost  Indian  stooped  as  he  reached  the  bank, 
examined  the  ground,  and  listened  intently.  The 
least  sound  —  a  loud  breath,  the  click  of  a  gun- 
lock,  or  even  the  least  footprint  in  the  soil  — 
would  have  alarmed  the  keen  senses  of  the  savage. 
There  was  neither  sound  nor  sign;  for  Honey- 
wood  and  his  party  well  knew  with  whom  they  had 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  59 

to  deal,  and  had  not  crossed  at  the  ford,  but  at  some 
distance  above. 

The  leader  now  touched  with  his  finger  the 
warrior  next  him,  and  that  one  the  next.  When 
the  signal  had  thus  passed  along  the  line,  the  last 
man  marched  to  the  front,  thus  bringing  them  two 
abreast,  in  which  order  they  entered  the  water, 
keeping  close.  Six  had  mounted  the  opposite 
bank,  and  the  rest  were  following,  when  the  deep 
stillness  of  nature  was  broken  by  the  roar  of  fire- 
arms ;  and  the  greater  part  of  those  forms  but  an 
instant  before  instinct  with  life,  and  breathing 
vengeance,  sank  beneath  the  wave,  or,  after  a  few 
convulsive  struggles,  were  borne  away  by  the 
rapid  current;  and  the  rays  of  the  rising  sun 
gleamed  on  waters  red  with  blood.  Another  vol- 
ley instantly  succeeded,  completing  the  slaughter ; 
two  only  were  seen  to  crawl  on  their  hands  and 
knees,  sorely  wounded,  to  the  shelter  of  some 
bushes  that  grew  on  the  water's  edge ;  but,  ere 
they  could  reach  the  covert,  Armstrong  rushed 
down  the  bank,  tomahawk  in  hand,  and  despatched 
them. 

Elated  with  the  success  of  their  ambush  (for 
the  two  volleys  had  swept  away  the  Indians  on 


60  FOREST   GLEX;     OR, 

the  borders  of  both  banks  and  those  in  the  water, 
while,  being  under  cover,  the  settlers  had  received 
no  harm  from  the  fire  that  the  Indians  in  their 
surprise  returned),  Holdness  and  his  men  instant- 
ly dashed  across  the  ford,  and  joined  Honeywood, 
resolved  to  follow  up  their  advantage. 

Although  meeting  with  a  severe  loss  of  men 
and  a  severe  resistance,  when  they  had  expected 
to  surprise  their  foes,  the  savages  did  not  retreat, 
but  took  trees,  and,  confident  in  their  superior 
force,  renewed  the  contest. 

Holdness  now  had  reason  to  regret,  that,  under 
the  impulse  of  the  moment,  he  had  not  acted  with 
his  usual  caution  in  thus  crossing  the  stream  ;  for, 
although  the  river  protected  the  rear  of  the  little 
band,  the  savages,  by  occupying  the  bank  both 
above  and  below  them,  could  command  the  ford ; 
and  thus  they  were  prevented  from  retreating 
without  being  exposed  to  the  fire  of  the  Indians 
while  crossing  the  stream,  while  the  latter  would 
be  under  cover. 

In  another  manner  they  made  their  superiority 
in  numbers  tell  to  the  disadvantage  of  the  settlers. 
Behind  some  of  the  largest  trees,  two  Indians 
stationed  themselves,  one  standing,  the  other  lying 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  61 

flat  on  the  ground ;  and  whenever  a  settler,  know- 
ing that  the  Indian  ^opposed  to  him  had  fired, 
incautiously  exposed  himself  to  load,  he  was  liable 
to  be  hit  by  the  other.  Before  this  stratagem  was 
discovered,  three  of  the  settlers  were  killed,  and 
several  wounded. 

An  Indian  was  stationed  behind  a  large  sugar- 
tree  within  half  rifle-shot  of  Harry  Sumerford,  and 
they  had  long  been  trying  to  kill  each  other.  At 
length  the  Indian  fired,  but  missed ;  and  Harry, 
knowing  his  rifle  was  empty,  stepped  from  behind 
his  tree  to  take  better  aim,  and  would  have  been 
shot  by  another  (who,  unbeknown  to  Harry,  was 
lying  behind  the  same  tree),  but  at  that  moment 
a  rifle  cracked,  and  the  savage  fell  over,  shot 
through  the  head;  and  a  well-known  voice 
cried,  — 

"  Zukkers  !  I've  shot  another  Indian  !  " 

Looking  round  in  surprise,  Harry  espied  Tony 
Stewart,  on  his  knees  behind  a  windfall,  his  rifle 
resting  on  it,  the  smoke  yet  rising  from  the  muz- 
zle, and  Sam  also  crouching  behind  the  same  tree. 

"You  little  plagues !"  exclaimed  Harry,  "what 
sent  you  here  right  into  the  thickest  of  the  fire  ?  " 

"  If  I  hadn't  been  here,"  retorted  Tony,  "  you'd 


62  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

'a'  been  killed ;  for,  when  I  shot  that  Indian,  he 
had  his  finger  on  the  trigger." 

"  Is  that  so  ?  " 

"  Yes,"  said  Sam  ;  "  and  there's  two  Indians  be- 
hind most  every  tree." 

It  came  out,  that,  after  being  sent  home  by 
Holdness,  they  sauntered  off  in  that  direction  till 
beyond  his  notice,  and  then  went  along  b}*  the 
bank  of  the  river.  There  they  found  the  raft  on 
which  Honeywood  and  his  party  had  crossed,  and 
which  they  had  set  adrift.  They  sat  down  on  the 
raft,  and  waited  till  the  conflict  began,  and  the 
Indians  had  fallen  back ;  when,  no  longer  able  to 
resist  the  temptation,  they  crossed  on  the  raft. 

Once  across,  they  crept  along  beneath  the  high 
bank  near  to  where  the  settlers  were  posted,  and, 
concealing  themselves  among  the  drift-wood,  lay 
unnoticed  till  the  Indians,  returning  by  degrees, 
had  obtained  such  positions  as  to  command  the 
ford. 

There  was  now  no  such  thing  as  sending  them 
home ;  and  well  the}-  knew  it,  and  no  longer  hesi- 
tated to  show  themselves  and  take  part  in  the 
conflict. 

Great  was  the   alarm  of  the  parents  at  home 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  63 

when  Sam  and  Tony  did  not  make  their  appear- 
ance at  the  breakfast-table,  and  when  they  found 
their  beds  had  not  been  slept  in. 

Their  fears  were  by  no  means  allayed  when 
(after  the  most  searching  inquiries  of  the  other 
boys,  mingled  with  threats  of  summary  punish- 
ment if  they  refused  to  tell)  they  ascertained, 
partly  from  Ike  Proctor  and  partly  from  Archie 
Crawford,  where  they  had  gone. 

"  Did  ever  anybody  in  this  world  see  such  chil- 
dren? ''  said  Mrs.  Sumerford.  "  That's  what  comes 
of  letting  them  have  rifles,  tomahawks,  and  scalp- 
ing-knives,  and  bringing  them  up  like  wolves,  as 
Mr.  Honeywood  says." 

"  It's  a  sair  thing,  nae  doubt,  to  hae  the  weans 
sae  greedy  for  fight  when  they've  rnie  come  till't ; 
still  I  ken  there's  nae  knowledge  mair  needfu' 
than  the  knowledge  o'  fighting  in  these  waefu' 
times,  for  it's  just  kill  or  be  kilt,"  said  Mrs.  Stew- 
art, who  took  a  more  practical  view  of  the  matter. 

It  was  a  source  of  great  mortification  to  Sam 
Sumerford,  that  he  had  never  yet  been  able  to  kill 
an  Indian,  although  Tony  had  killed  two :  and  he 
was  prepared  to  incur  any  risk  to  accomplish  that 
feat ;  and,  after  long  waiting,  the  opportunity  was 
presented. 


64  FOREST    GLEN  ;    OR, 

The  Indians  are  extremely  dexterous  in  carry- 
ing away  their  dead,  and  even  during  the  time  of 
action  will  generally  contrive  to  remove  or  conceal 
their  bodies. 

Tony  saw  a  savage  conveying  away  the  body  of 
another  who  had  been  shot  by  Holdness.  Having 
fastened  a  line  to  the  head  of  the  corpse,  this  sav- 
age, lying  flat  on  the  ground,  taking  advantage  of 
every  inequality,  was  worming  himself  along,  and 
almost  imperceptibly  drawing  the  body  after  him. 

Sammy  crept  along  after  him,  gradually  drawing 
near,  till  within  short  range.  The  body  at  length 
came  in  contact  with  a  log:  and,  the  Indian  cau 
tiou.sly  raising  himself  from  the  ground  to  lift  it. 
over  the  obstacle,  Sammy,  firing,  killed  him. 

Entirely  occupied  in  endeavoring  to  accomplish 
his  purpose,  he  had  crawled  much  farther  than  he 
was  aware.  The  next  moment  an  Indian,  rushing 
out  of  a  thick  clump  of  trees,  caught  the  boy,  and, 
holding  him  before  him  as  a  protection  from  the 
fire  of  the  settlers,  began  to  walk  slowly  back- 
wards. 

A  cry  of  horror  arose  from  the  ranks  of  the 
whites ;  while  the  Indians  filled  the  air  with  yells 
of  exultation,  and  increased  their  fire  to  prevent 
rescue. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  65 

The  Indian  was  within  a  few  feet  of  the  clump 
'from  which  he  had  issued,  slowly  retreating  amid 
the  silence  of  friends  and  foes,  all  intently  watch- 
ing his  progress,  when  the  report  of  a  rifle  rung 
through  the  forest,  and  the  savage  fell,  shot 
through  the  very  centre  of  his  forehead. 

"  God  bless  you,  Mr.  Honeywood  ! "  shouted 
Harry :  "  you  had  help  to  do  that." 

"  I  asked  for  it,"  was  tlie  reply,  as  he  leaned 
against  the  tree  behind  which  he  stood,  pale  and 
weak  with  emotion. 

The  savages  endeavored  to  shoot  the  lad  as  he 
lay  on  the  ground;  but  the  noble  fellow  pulled 
the  body  of  the  savage  over  his  own,  thus  shelter- 
ing himself  till  Harry  and  Alex,  rushing  forward, 
rescued  him,  Harry  escaping  unharmed,  and  Alex 
with  a  slight  flesh-wound. 

"  They  are  not  such  shots  as  Honeywood,  or 
neither  of  you  would  have  come  back,"  said  Hold- 
ness. 

"  Hope  you've  got  enough  of  it  now,  young- 
ster," said  Harry  as  he  put  the  boy  down. 

"  I  want  to  kill  another  Indian,  and  I  mean  to, 
'cause  Tony's  killed  two." 

The  settlers  now  found  themselves  in  a  position 


66  FOI;I;ST  GLEN  ,   OR, 

of  great  peril,  being  too  few  in  number  to  advance, 
while,  at  the  same  time,  they  could  not  recross  the 
ford  without  exposing  themselves  to  the  same 
fearful  slaughter  which  they  had  inflicted  upon 
the  Indians. 

The  latter  soon  made  it  evident  that  they  were 
fully  sensible  of  their  advantage.  With  great 
skill  and  promptitude  they  made  a  raft  which  they 
covered  with  brush,  and  on  it  placed  their  arms, 
then,  swimming  alongside,  pushed  it  across  the 
stream,  and,  seizing  their  arms,  took  the  most 
direct  route  to  the  fort. 

"  They'll  capture  the  fort,  and  massacre  our  fam- 
ilies," said  Armstrong.  "  We  must  brave  their 
fire,  cross  the  river,  and  go  to  the  rescue  at  what- 
ever cost  of  life." 

"Not  so,"  said  Holdness.  "If  the  fort  was 
empty,  they  couldn't  enter  it  in  a  hurry.  There's 
a  choice  man  in  command,  who  has  no  flinch  about 
him :  the  boys'll  do  good  service  at  the  loop-holes, 
and  so  will  the  women,  and  the  cannon  rake  the 
walls.  We'll  hold  our  ground  till  night,  and,  if 
we  must  fall  back,  do  it  under  cover  of  night." 

The  Indians  who  remained  now  increased  their 
fire,  accompanied  with  fearful  yells.  Their  yells, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  67 

however,  went  for  nothing  with  the  settlers ;  and 
having,  in  consequence  of  detailing  a  part  of  their 
number  to  attack  the  fort,  reduced  themselves  to 
one  man  at  each  tree,  they  were  deprived  of  the 
advantage  in  shooting  they  at  first  enjoyed,  and 
inflicted  no  injury  upon  the  settlers,  while  they, 
who  never  fired  at  random,  frequently  brought 
the  death-yell  from  some  savage. 

Finding  they  were  losing  ground,  and  fruitful 
in  expedients,  some  of  the  Indians  swam  the 
stream,  and  brought  over  the  raft  that  had  been 
used  by  their  comrades,  and,  placing  their  arms  on 
it,  crossed  to  the  other  side. 

Having  rifles  which  had  been  furnished  them 
by  the  French,  and  the  stream  being  narrow,  they 
intended  to  attack  the  settlers  in  the  rear  by  firing 
across  it,  while  sheltered  themselves  by  the  trees 
that  grew  along  the  bank.  In  this  manner  they 
hoped  soon  to  destroy  their  stubborn  and  implaca- 
ble foes,  while  the  others  should  capture  the  fort. 

Concealed  from  the  frontiersmen  \)y  a  bend  of 
the  stream,  they  were  making  their  preparations. 
Holdness  (versed  in  Indian  wiles)  suspected  their 
design  by  seeing  a  number  of  the  warriors  going 
in  one  direction. 


68  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"Boys,"  said  he,  "one  of  you  climb  that  bushy 
hemlock,  and  see  what  these  redskins,  so  many  of 
them,  are  going  over  that  knoll  arter.  They're 
working  some  plot  to  circumvent  us." 

Detecting  by  this  means  the  intentions  of  their 
enemies,  they  quickly  threw  up  a  breastwork  of 
drift-wood  and  saplings,  which  they  cut  with  their 
tomahawks;  and,  Avhen  the  Indians  attained  their 
position  on  the  opposite  bank,  they  found  the 
frontiersmen  effectually  intrenched ,  and,  foiled 
where  they  had  counted  on  success,  they  hastened 
to  aid  in  the  capture  of  the  garrison. 

The  Indians  possessed  quite  an  accurate  knowl- 
edge of  the  number  of  men  in  the  Run,  and  knew 
by  the  firing  and  observation  that  there  could 
not  be  more  than  two  or  three  men  left  in  the 
fort,  and  felt  no  apprehension  in  approaching 
quite  near  the  wails. 

But  they  did  not  know,  there  was  a  large  num- 
ber of  boys,  who,  firing  from  a  rest,  were  as  good 
or  even  better  marksmen  than  themselves,  were 
most  of  them  armed  with  rifles,  that  many  of  the 
women  could  shoot,  and  that  they  were  under 
the  command  of  a  man  who  was  not  inferior  to 
themselves  either  in  subtlety  or  vindictive  feeling. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  69 

Observing  the  approach  of  the  savages,  Blaneh- 
ard  placed  the  boys  at  the  loop-holes,  and  with 
them  Mrs.  Honeywood,  Joan,  and  Mrs.  Holdness, 
Mrs.  Grant,  Lucy  Mugford,  Mrs.  Sumerford,  Mrs. 
Stewart,  and  Maccoy's  wife,  with  orders  to  be 
ready,  but  not  to  put  the  muzzles  into  the  loop 
till  they  received  a  signal  to  fire.  The  large  gun 
in  the  flanker,  that  raked  the  whole  side  of  the 
fort  on  which  was  the  main  entrance,  and  that 
was  loaded  with  bullets  and  buckshot  to  the 
muzzle,  and  concealed  by  a  bundle  of  straw  flung 
over  it,  wras  given  in  charge  of  Will  Grant,  one  of 
Harry  Sumerford's  "  Young  Defenders,"  a  cool, 
resolute  young  fellow,  in  his  nineteenth  year.  Thus 
there  was  no  show  of  defence  visible  from  without. 

Blanchard  said  by  way  of  encouragement,  after 
counting  the  number  of  the  Indians :  "  Neighbors, 
there's  no  cause  for  alarm,  not  a  mite  :  the  ambush 
was  a  raal  thing,  and  give  the  imps  a  downright 
raking,  I  know  by  the  death-yells ;  and  our  folks 
are  holding  their  own  now,  or  else  they  would 
have  spared  more  Indians  to  come  here;  and,  if  I 
don't  teach  'em  a  lesson  that'll  stick,  my  name's 
not  Israel  Blanchard,  and  I  wasn't  born  in  the 
Eastern  woods." 


70  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

The  Indians,  confident  that  the  inmates  of  the 
fort  were  nearly  all  women,  and  still  more  con- 
firmed in  the  opinion  by  observing  no  guns  at  the 
loop-holes,  nor  any  persons  on  the  platforms  (for 
Blanchard  had  ordered  every  one  to  keep  out  of 
sight,  but  to  be  ready  at  a  moment's  notice),  and  a 
bundle  of  straw  in  the  embrasure  of  the  flanker, 
approached  the  walls  without  the  least  hesita- 
tion, and  one  of  them  made  signals  for  a  parley. 
Blanchard  accordingly  mounted  to  the  platform 
over  the  gate,  and  asked  the  spokesman  what  he 
wanted. 

"  Pale-face  let  Indians  come  in,  Indian  no  hurt 
him.  Pale-face  make  fight,  then  Indian  take  the 
fort,  kill  him." 

"  You  can't  take  this  fort  soon :  we  can  hold  it 
till  our  people  come  back." 

"  Your  warriors  never  come  back :  most  all  dead. 
Delawares  all  round  'em,  shoot  'em  down  just  like 
one  pigeon." 

"  You  lie.  I  know  the  ground  and  the  men  ;  I 
can  see  the  smoke  of  the  guns  ;  they've  got  a  good 
cover,  have  killed  many  of  your  people,  and  will 
hold  their  own." 

Finding  that  he  could  not  deceive  the  frontier's- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  71 

man  in  this  way,  the  savage  changed  his  ground. 
"  S'pose  good  many  Indians  keep  your  warriors 
good  while :  we  take  the  fort  soon,  then  we 
kill  squaw,  pappoose,  all,  every  one,  burn  some. 
S'pose  you  give  up,  no  hurt  you." 

"  We  can  kill  a  good  many  of  you  before  you 
can  take  this  fort,  and  if  we  give  up  you'll  kill  all 
the  same  when  you  get  us :  so  be  off  with  you," 
grasping  his  rifle. 

"  Indian  no  hurt  you,"  persisted  the  savage. 

"  What  will  you  do  with  us  ?  " 

"  Let  you  go  to  the  Susquehanna.  You  no 
belong  here  :  this  Delawares'  land." 

"  Will  you  let  us  take  our  cattle  and  mules  and 
goods  and  arms  ?  " 

"  Every  thing." 

"  You  told  the  people  at  Fort  Granville  if  they 
would  surrender  you  wouldn't  hurt  'em  ;  and  then 
you  roasted  the  man  who  opened  the  gate  to  you, 
butchered  and  scalped  all  but  one,  and  would 
have  killed  him  if  you  could." 

"We  killed  them  because  they  killed  a  good 
many  of  our  people :  you  no  kill  us,  we  no  kill 
you. 

"  Well,  I'll  open  the  gate." 


72  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

Blanchard  made  a  great  show  of  removing  bolts 
and  liars,  the  Indians  meanwhile  eagerly  crowding 
up  to  the  gate  and  walls  ;  and,  perceiving  through 
a  crevice  in  the  timber  that  they  were  compact 
together,  he  made  a  signal  to  Grant,  who  applied 
the  match. 

"  Ay !  "  cried  McClure  as  he  listened  to  the 
firing,  "  as  pretty  a  volley  as  one  would  want  to 
hear,  and  the  cannon  too.  That  tells  the  story: 
some  of  the  sarpents  have  caught  it.  Israel  Blan- 
chard's  not  the  man  to  waste  powder  himself,  nor 
to  let  anybody  else."  Israel  threw  the  gate  open, 
and  went  out  to  look  at  the  dead. 

"  What  makes  you  open  the  gate,  Mr.  Blanch- 
ard ?  "  said  his  wife. 

"  It  might  as  well  be  open  as  shut :  not  another 
Indian  will  you  see  round  this  fort  to-day.  They'll 
not  come  here  agin  in  a  hurry.  A  pretty  sprin- 
kling of  deed  Indians:  there's  more  money  value 
in  the  scalps  lying  here  than  in  our  whole  har- 
vest.'' 

He  now  proceeded  coolly  to  tear  the  scalps  from 
the  heads  of  the  slain. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  73 


CHAPTER    VI. 

GATHERING   COURAGE   FROM   DESPAIR. 

THE  few  savages  who  escaped  fled  in  the 
direction  of  the  river,  where  they  were  met 
by  the  band  coming  to  re-enforce  them ;  and,  being 
by  no  means  disposed  to  make  another  attempt 
upon  the  fort,  they  carried  the  news  of  their  de- 
feat to  the  main  body. 

Wrought  up  to  frenzy  by  such  repeated  fail- 
ures, and  thirsting  for  revenge,  the  Indians  rallied 
all  their  energies  for  one  decisive  blow. 

Their  numbers  were  now  increased  by  the 
return  parties ;  and,  by  holding  the  edge  of  the 
bunk  both  above  and  below  the  settlers,  they  were 
able  to  command  the  ford  with  a  cross-fire  which 
seemed  sufficient  to  insure  the  destruction  of  any 
party  that  might  attempt  to  cross.  They  were 
favored  in  their  plans  by  the  shape  of  the  shore, 
the  settlers  being  in  the  centre  of  a  curve,  while 


74  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

they  held  the  two  extremities,  the  ford  lying  be- 
tween. 

The  wind,  that  had  been  gradually  rising  during 
the  morning,  now  blew  a  gale  in  the  direction  of 
the  ford,  and  right  across  the  position  occupied  by 
the  settlers. 

It  was  a  period  of  drought,  and  the  woods  were 
full  of  combustible  material  as  dry  as  tinder. 

"What's  that?"  cried  Holdness  as  he  smelt  the 
smoke. 

"  They've  set  the  woods  afire,"  said  McClure ; 
"  and  we  can  take  our  choice,  —  be  burnt  to  death, 
or  cross  the  ford  in  the  face  of  their  fire.  They've 
trapped  us  with  a  vengeance." 

A  bright  flame  was  now  seen  rising  in  several 
places,  and  creeping  along  the  ground  behind  the 
Indians'  line,  that  now  began  to  open  right  and 
left  as  the  flames  came  on  rapidly  before  the  wind, 
In-raided  by  the  exulting  shouts  of  the  savages, 
who  now  felt  their  long-sought  day  of  vengeance 
had  come,  and  began  to  mass  their  force  along  the 
bank  as  the  flames  came  on. 

Gathering  courage  from  despair,  the  settlers  pre- 
pared to  dash  across  the  ford  in  a  long  line,  hoping 
in  this  manner,  and  by  the  swiftness  of  their  pas- 
sage, to  escape  in  some  degree  the  enemy's  fiie. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  75 

"  Follow  me,  neighbors  !  "  shouted  Honeywood : 
"  there's  death  behind,  and  no  mercy  before." 

His  voice  was  drowned  in  a  rattling  volley,  fol- 
lowed by  the  death-shrieks  of  Indians,  while  far 
above  the  din  rose  the  wild,  exulting,  peculiar  war- 
whoop  of  the  Black  Rifle,  like  nothing  else  in  the 
world  as  Holdness  said,  and  wliich  was  instantly 
recognized  both  by  the  settlers  and  their  foes. 

This  was  immediately  succeeded  by  the  blast  of 
a  conch,  by  which  he  directed  those  who  from  time 
to  time  followed  his  lead. 

Israel  Blanchard,  who  was  perched  on  the  roof 
of  the  block-house,  listening  anxiously  to  every 
sound  that  came  from  the  battle-ground,  saw  the 
flames  rising,  and  understood  but  too  well  the 
object  for  which  they  were  kindled.  Hard  upon 
this  came  the  volley,  and  the  blast  of  the  horn. 

"  It's  the  Black  Rifle  and  his  men :  Nat's  got 
'em,"  shouted  Blanchard. 

He  flung  open  the  gate,  and  rushed  to  the  scene 
of  conflict  with  all  the  lads  at  his  heels,  whose 
yells  justified  abundantly  their  cognomen  of  the 
"  Screeching  Catamounts." 

"  I  do  believe  Israel  has  lost  his  senses,"  said 
Mr.  Seth,  as  he  shut  and  barred  the  gate  his 
brother  had  left  open  in  his  headstrong  flight. 


76  FOUKST    CI.KX;    OR, 

"Then  he's  lost  a  good  deal,"  said  Mrs.  Sumer- 
ford,  who  heard  the  remark. 

They  were  too  lute  to  join  in  the  conflict ;  for 
•when  they  reached  the  spot  the  Indians  had  iled, 
pursued  by  the  I  Mack  Riile  and  his  band. 

From  the  scattered  hints  to  be  gathered  from 
history  and  tradition,  it  appears  that  there  were 
quite  a  number  of  men  very  much  like  McClure 
and  Holdness,  who  were  at  any  time  disposed  to 
follow  the  lead  of  the  Black  Riile,  and  to  make  up 
a  scalping-party  to  kill  Indians  of  whatever  tribe, 
although  for  the  most  part  he  preferred  to  go 
alone. 

Revenge  was  so  sweet  a  morsel  to  this  singu- 
larly constituted  being,  that  he  was  seldom  willing 
to  dilute  by  sharing  it  with  others. 

The  governor  having  offered  a  large  bounty  for 
Indian  scalps,  twelve  men  were  'camping  in  the 
woods  near  the  cave  of  Capt.  Jack,  waiting  for 
others  who  were  to  join  them,  and  make  up  a 
party  of  twenty  to  start  on  a  scalping  expedition  ; 
and,  when  Nat  Cuthbert  brought  tidings  of  the 
expected  attack  at  Wolf  Run,  they  inarched  on 
the  instant. 

Their  leader,  discovering  by  the  sound  of  rifles 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  77 

the  exact  position  of  the  Indians  (whose  atten- 
tion was  fully  occupied  with  the  enemies  in  front), 
gained  their  rear  unperceived,  and  poured  in  a  fire 
every  bullet  of  which  told. 

This  most  unexpected  blow ;  the  fearful  slaugh- 
ter at  the  fort,  which  caused  them  to  fear  there 
were  soldiers  in  it  who  might  at  any  moment 
bring  a  re-enforcement  to  the  settlers,  added  to  the 
terrible  presence  of  the  Black  Rifle,  who  the 
Indians  believed  bore  a  charmed  life,  effectually 
discouraged  them  ;  and,  though  picked  warriors, 
they  sought  safety  in  flight. 

The  losses  of  the  settlers  were  less  than  might 
have  been  expected  from  the  duration  of  the  con- 
test, and  the  overwhelming  odds  against  which 
they  fought.  Heinrich  Stiefel,  David  Blanchard, 
and  Wood  were  killed ;  and  all  except  Harry 
Sumerford,  Ned  Armstrong,  and  Stewart  were 
wounded,  but  most  of  them  slightly. 

"  If  this  Indian  war  holds  on  much  longer," 
said  Holdness,  "  I  shall  have  to  be  made  over ;  for 
I  sha'n't  have  a  square  inch  of  flesh  without  a  scar, 
or  a  single  bone  without  it's  callous." 

Sammy  Sumerford  was  found  lying  beside  the 
dead  body  of  the  second  Indian  he  had  killed,  and 
was  wounded. 


78  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

He  instantly  became  an  object  of  envy  to  all  his 
mates,  who  crowded  around  him. 

Stewart  now  for  the  first  time  became  aware 
that  his  boy  had  been  in  the  action,  Tony  having 
been  very  careful  to  keep  out  of  his  father's  sight. 
Though  several  recollected  having  seen  him  during 
the  conflict,  he  could  not  be  found. 

Stewart  was  very  much  moved ;  for,  notwith- 
standing his  rough  ways,  he  was  a  man  of  warm 
affections,  ardently  attached  to  Tony  his  only  son ; 
and,  though  often  vexed  by  the  mischievous  pranks 
of  the  lad,  was  excessively  proud  of  him  ;  and  in- 
stantly commenced  an  eager  search,  assisted  by  his 
neighbors. 

"  Dinna  ye  ken  wha  hae  became  o'  my  bairn?" 
said  he  to  Sammy ;  "  for  I  ken  richt  weel  ye  canna 
be  sundered  by  ordinal  mair  than  soul  and  body. 
I  trust  he's  come  by  nae  skaith." 

"  He  was  down  there  by  that  log,"  said  Sammy, 
pointing  behind  him,  "  and  said  he  was  going  to 
crawl  to  a  spring  he  knowed  about,  and  get  a 
drink,  and  wanted  me  to  go  too  ;  but  I  didn't 
want  to,  because  this  Indian  was  behind  a  little 
small  tree,  and  I  wanted  to  shoot  him,  'cause  Tony 
shot  two  Indians,  and  I  wanted  to.  He  went  to 
the  spring,  and  I  didn't  see  him  after  that." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIKNDSHIP.  79 

Stewart  went  in  the  direction  pointed  out  by 
Sammy,  found  the  spring,  the  rifle  of  Tony,  and 
the  prints  of  his  knees  in  the  soft  ground  where 
he  had  knelt  to  drink ;  but  neither  the  lad  nor  his 
body  could  anywhere  be  found.  The  spring  was 
not  far  from  the  position  occupied  by  the  Indians, 
and  it  was  concluded  that  he  had  been  seen  and 
carried  off  by  them :  but  there  were  so  many 
wounded,  that  pursuit  was  impossible  ;  and  it  was 
thought  that  the  Black  Rifle's  band  would  be 
more  likely  to  rescue  the  lad  than  any  party  that 
could  be  sent  from  the  Run. 

Holdness  and  others  scalped  the  dead ;  and 
McClure  told  Stewart  (without  thinking  of  what 
he  was  saying)  to  scalp  the  Indian  Tony  killed. 

"  I  winna  he  did  nae  want  it  done :  I  maist  like'll 
nivir  see  him  mair.  I  hae  been  strict  wi'  him 
mayhap  ower  muckle,  and  I  winna  do  it  nor  let  it 
be  done." 

He  then  proceeded  to  cover  the  body  with 
rotten  wood,  brush,  and  leaves,  McClure  and 
Holdness  helping  him.  As  for  Sammy,  though 
his  moccason  was  full  of  blood  from  a  flesh-wound 
in  his  thigh,  he  would  not  consent  to  be  moved 
until  he  obtained  a  solemn  promise  from  Harry 


80  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

that  neither  his  two  Indians,  as  he  termed  them 
(those  he  had  shot),  nor  Tony's,  should  be  scalped, 
but  covered  up  with  brush;  "because,"  said  Sam, 
4>  iiic  and  Tony  and  most  of  my  company  of  the 
'  Screeching  Catamounts '  don't  believe  in  taking 
scalps.  We  feel  just  as  Mr.  Honeywood  does  :  he 
says  it's  a  mean  thing,  and  'tain't  right." 

Harry  gave  the  promise. 

"  Tony's  father  covered  his  Indian  up,  and 
wouldn't  have  him  scalped,"  said  Johnny  Craw- 
ford ;  "  and  we'll  help  cover  up  yours." 

Grant  had  a  heifer  that  he  was  fatting,  intend- 
ing to  kill  her  when  the  weather  became  cool 
enough.  This  creature  had  been  overlooked  when 
the  rest  of  the  cattle  were  driven  into  the  stockade. 

The  Indians,  finding  the  animal,  killed  her, 
meaning,  no  doubt,  after  butchering  the  settlers 
and  setting  the  buildings  on  fire,  to  have  had  a 
grand  dance  and  feast  of  victory. 

She  was  dressed,  the  meat  taken  to  the  fort,  and 
formed  a  meal  for  the  settlers.  It  was  a  singular 
assemblage  :  nearly  every  one  had  received  some 
injury.  One  had  a  patch  on  his  head,  where  a 
bullet  grazed  ;  another  carried  his  arm  in  a  sling  ; 
the  hands  of  several  were  bound  up.  Grant  and 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  81 

Maccoy  sat  with  their  legs  extended  on  stools,  one 
being  wounded  in  the  foot,  the  other  in  the  thigh. 
There  were  three  who  were  wounded  in  such  a 
manner,  they  had  to  be  fed  by  others ;  and,  in  the 
majority  of  the  cases,  the  blood  from  the  wounds 
had  come  through  the  bandages.  Nevertheless 
they  were  in  high  spirits  at  having  defeated  the 
savages  and  saved  their  crops,  and  were  resolved 
to  enjoy  themselves. 

"  It's  a  sore  thing  ter  have  our  neighbors  killed 
by  our  side,"  said  Holdness ;  "  and  there's  no  one 
of  us  but  feels  for  those  who  are  mourning  the  loss 
of  husbands,  fathers,  and  children  ;  but  we  ought 
certainly  ter  feel  thankful  it's  no  worse.  It's  a 
sad  thing  for  neighbor  Stewart  and  neighbor 
Blanchard  to  lose  their  boys.  A  smart  lad  was 
Tony,  and  David  was  a  nice,  likely  young  man, 
and  had  good  larnin';  but  Stewart  and  his  wife 
shouldn't  be  too  much  cast  down.  The  Indians 
won't  kill  Tony,  that's  sartain :  they  seldom  do  a 
boy  of  that  age  ;  they've  lost  a  great  many  men 
in  this  fight,  and  they'll  adopt  him  to  fill  up  some 
gap,  and  treat  him  just  like  their  own  children." 

"The  Black  Rifle's  people  may  rescue  him," 
said  Proctor ;  "  or,  when  the  war  id  over,  he  can 
be  redeemed." 


82  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

"  I  wad  be  loath  our  misfortune  should  mar  the 
joy  we  a'  suld  feel,  and  gratitude  to  One  above," 
said  Stewart,  "seeing  there's  good  ground  for 
hope  in  respect  to  the  bairn.  It's  not  like  finding 
him  on  the  field  with  a  tomahawk  in  his  head,  or  a 
bullet  in  his  breast." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  83 


CHAPTER    VII. 

A   CONTRAST. 

THE  next  day  was  devoted  to  the  burial  of 
those  killed  in  battle.  Directly  afterwards, 
with  that  recklessness  so  characteristic  of  all  fron- 
tier population,  they  left  the  fort  to  occupy  their 
own  dwellings ;  although,  now  that  their  wounds 
had  become  stiff,  it  was  necessary  to  haul  some  on 
sleds,  and  there  were  not  able-bodied  men  enough 
to  furnish  a  scouting-party,  nor  to  gather  the 
harvest. 

But  the  frontier-women  were  equal  to  the  exi- 
gency, and  able  to  assist  the  men  who  were  well  or 
slightly  wounded.  Most  of  the  women,  especially 
those  of  Scotch  descent,  could  handle  the  sickle. 
The  children  likewise  did  their  portion  of  the 
work,  the  boys  in  the  field,  and  the  girls  doing  the 
housework  while  their  mothers  were  harvesting. 

Frontier  life  is  one  of  sharp  contrasts,  constitut- 
ing, perhaps,  its  charms  for  rugged  natures. 


84  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

It  was  a  clear  day  of  bright  sunshine :  the  women 
and  every  man  who  could  manage  to  work  were 
busily  employed.  Mrs.  Grant  was  singing  at  her 
work;  and  the  cheerful  notes  of  the  harvest-song 
floated  up  over  fields  that  but  two  days  before 
echoed  to  the  roar  of  cannon  and  the  war-whoop 
of  the  savage. 

"  Indeed,  neighbor  McClure,"  said  Mrs.  Sumer- 
ford,  wiping  the  sweat  from  her  brow,  and  laying 
the  sickle  over  her  shoulder  as  the  horn  blew  for 
dinner,  "  I  don't  mind  the  hard  work  nor  the  hot 
sun  one  mite :  it's  far  better  to  be  reaping  and 
getting  bread  for  the  children  than  to  be  making 
shrouds  for  the  dead,  and  putting  dear  friends  and 
neighbors  in  the  grave,  as  we've  been  doing  so 
often  for  the  past  year." 

"  I  dinna  mind  the  work  a  windle  strae,"  said 
Mrs.  Armstrong.  "I  hae  reaped  mony  a  bushel 
o'  sowin'  in  my  ain  countrie,  and  whiles  I  like 
better  to  be  in  the  field  than  to  do  housework. 
Ay,  I've  reaped  mony  a  long  day  for  sma'  wages, 
and  gleaned  and  wrought  sair ;  but  I  like  better  to 
be  reaping  my  ain  grain  than  ither  people's.  Is 
it  not  sae,  Jean  Stewart  ?  " 

"Indeed  it  is.     We  wad  hae  reaped  riae  grain 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  85 

of  our  ain  had  we  bided  in  bonnie  Scotland,  though 
oftenwhiles  my  thoughts  will  travel  back  among 
the  lochs  and  the  braes  where  I  first  drew  breath. 
I  could  na'  keep  the  tears  frae  running  down  mj 
cheeks  while  Maggie  Grant  was  singing ;  for  many's- 
the  time  I've  heard  my  auld  mither  sing  those 
same  words  owre  her  sickle,  when  I  a  wee  bairi> 
was  gleaning  after  her." 

Sammy  Sumerford  could  not  bear  to  stay  in  the 
house  with  Jane  Proctor,  who  had  engaged  to 
mind  the  baby  while  Mrs.  Sumerford  was  in  the 
field,  and  also  to  get  dinner ;  and  so  persuaded  his 
mates  to  carry  him  to  the  field,  and  set  him  up 
against  a  stook  of"  grain.  They  then  brought  him 
some  long  coarse  grass,  of  which  he  made  bands 
to  bind  the  grain. 

Here  he  found  at  work  Holdness,  whose  chin 
was  ploughed  by  a  bullet  that  had  taken  the  skin 
and  flesh  to  the  bone.  The  wound,  though  not 
dangerous,  was  extremely  sore  and  sensitive.  He 
could  not  reap,  because  the  heads  of  the  grain  that 
were  very  stout,  brushing  against  his  chin,  kept 
constantly  irritating  the  wound.  He  therefore 
bound  up  the  sheaves,  while  Sam  made  bands  for 
him ;  and,  as  both  were  wounded,  they  frequently 
left  off  work  to  rest  and  talk. 


86  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"  Mr.  Holdness,  didn't  you  like  Tony  ?  " 

"  Yes,  I  liked  him  much :  he  was  a  brave  boy. 
I'm  right  sorry  for  his  loss.  It's  a  loss  ter  all  of 
us,  as  well  as  ter  his  father  and  mother." 

"  I  loved  Tony :  he's  played  with  me  ever  since 
I  can  remember.  I  can't  remember  the  time  I 
didn't  play  with  Tony.  I  know  I  never  shall  love 
another  boy  as  well  as  I  loved  Tony.  What  will 
the  Indians  do  to  him,  Mr.  Holdness  ?  will  they 
kill  him?" 

"  Kill  him  !  no.  I'll  tell  you.  A  good  many  of 
the  Indians  we  killed  the  other  day  were  quite 
young  men.  When  they  get  Tony  to  one  of  their 
towns,  some  of  the  fathers  or  mothers  of  them 
what's  killed  will  take  him  for  their  own,  in  place 
of  the  one  they've  lost.  That's  the  Indian 
fashion." 

"Then  they  won't  kill,  scalp,  nor  roast  him 
alive  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed  !  If  they  could  get  hold  of  me  or 
McClure,  or  Tony's  father,  or  Mr.  Honeywood, 
they  would  torment  us  all  they  knew  how  ;  but,  as 
for  him,  they  won't  hurt  a  hair  of  his  head : 
though  if  the  Black  Rifle  should  overtake  them, 
and  they  found  they  couldn't  get  away,  they'd 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  87 

tomahawk  him  in  a  minute  before  they  would  let 
the  Black  Rifle  get  him." 

"  What  do  Indians  want  a  white  boy  for  ?  " 

"  They  want  ter  make  an  Indian  of  him. 
They'll  be  just  as  good  ter  him  and  treat  him  just 
as  well  as  they  do  their  own,  and  larn  him  every 
thing  they  know  themselves.  He  won't  get  the 
lickin's  he  had  at  home,  for  the  Indians  never 
strike  their  children." 

"  When  he  gets  bigger,  he  can  run  away  and 
come  home." 

"  They'll  watch  him  at  first ;  and  it  won't  be 
long  afore  he'll  forget  his  father  and  mother  and 
everybody  he  knew,  and  turn  into  an  Indian.  He 
won't  have  any  thing  white  about  him  but  his  skin, 
and  hardly  that ;  for  they'll  grease  him,  paint  and 
smoke  him,  and  he'll  go  half  naked  in  the  sun  and 
wind,  till  he's  about  as  red  as  themselves.  He'll 
come  ter  have  Indian  ways  and  feelings,  and  never 
will  want  to  leave  'em." 

"  Oh,  Mr.  Holdness !  Tony  will  never  forget  me 
and  his  father  and  mother  and  sister.  Mr.  Hold- 
ness,  Tony  hates  an  Indian :  he's  killed  two  on 
'em." 

"I  tell  you  he'll  turn  into  an  Indian,  just  as  a 


88  FOEEST  GLEX;   OR, 

tadpole  turns  into  a  frog,  and  like  'em  just  as 
much  as  he  hates  'em  now,  and  love  his  Indian 
father  and  mother  better  than  he  loves  his  own 
father  and  mother,  and  like  their  miserable  way  of 
living  better'n  the  way  he  was  brought  up  in." 

"  I  don't  see  how  it  can  be." 

"  Neither  do  I ;  but  I  know  it  will  if  he  stays 
among  'em  any  length  of  time,  which  I  hope  to 
God  he  won't  do,  because  every  boy,  or  girl  either, 
that  goes  among  the  Indians  at  his  age,  does  just 
so.  But  you  can't  make  a  white  man  out  of  an 
Indian,  any  more'n  you  can  make  a  hen  out  of  a 
partridge.  But  don't  tell  his  folks  what  I've  said, 
'cause  it  would  make  'em  feel  bad." 

Holdness  now  took  up  a  handful  of  bands,  and 
went  to  tie  up  wheat. 

The  boys  talked  the  matter  over  after  he  was 
gone.  Sammy  appeared  sad :  the  tears  stood  in 
his  eyes  as  he  said,  — 

"  Mr.  Holdness  never  told  me  any  thing  before 
that  I  didn'J;  believe  every  word  of:  but  I  can't 
believe  Tony  could  forget  me  ;  I'm  sure  I  never 
shall  forget  him." 

"  I  don't  believe  Tony  will  ever  forget  his  sister 
Maud.  He  would  do  any  thing  for  Maud :  he 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  89 

loved  Maud  more'n  he  loved  himself,"  said  Jim 
Grant. 

"  I  don't  believe  he'll  forget  Alice  Grant  nei- 
ther," said  Ike  Proctor :  "  'cause  don't  you  know, 
Sammy,  when  we  were  going  to  have  the  party 
down  to  Cuthbert's  house,  and  you  and  I  didn't 
want  to  have  the  gals,  he  stuck  up  for  havin'  'em, 
and  'twas  only  'cause  he  wanted  Alice  Grant  to 
come." 

"  I  should  think,"  said  Dan  Mugford,  "  they'd 
want  to  kill  him,  'cause  he  killed  one  of  them ;  but 
perhaps  they  won't  know  as  'twas  him  who  killed 
him." 

"  Mr.  Holdness  says  they'll  like  him  all  the  bet- 
ter for  that;  'cause  it  shows  he's  brave,  and  knows 
how  to  shoot,  and  they'll  know  he'll  make  a  great 
chief,"  said  Johnnie  Crawford. 

The  boys  could  not  possibly  bring  themselves  to 
believe  that  Tony  could  or  would  forget  parents, 
playmates,  kith  and  kin  ;  and,  the  more  they  dis- 
cussed the  matter,  the  more  confirmed  they  became 
in  their  previous  opinion. 

The  subject  of  conversation  was  now  changed 
at  the  approach  of  the  girls,  who,  having  done  up 
their  housework,  had  come  to  assist  in  the  field. 


90  FOREST    GLEN  ;     OR, 

"  If  they  ain't  going  to  have  scouts  out  any 
more,"  said  Dan  Mugford,  "  and  the  Indians  have 
got  scared  and  won't  come  any  more,  then  why 
can't  they  let  us  go  swimming  in  the  river  ?  " 

"  Yes :  and  we  can  have  our  bladders  that  we've 
been  keeping  so  long,  and  swim  with  'em ;  and 
when  the  acorns,  chestnuts,  and  walnuts  are  ripe, 
we  can  go  nutting,"  said  Sam. 

"  We  can  go  with  you,  and  have  nice  times,  same 
as  we  did  before  the  war,"  said  Maud  Stewart. 

"  There  was  ever  so  much  powder  in  the  Indians' 
pouches,  and  Mr.  Holt  turned  it  into  a  basket :  I 
saw  him,"  said  Ben  Wood.  "  Maybe  they'll  give 
us  some  ;  and  then  we  can  kill  deer  and  coons,  and 
all  of  us  could  kill  a  bear." 

"I  don't  believe  they'll  let  us  go  where  we  are 
a  mind  to,"  said  Jim  Grant :  "  all  the  reason  they 
don't  send  out  scouts  now  is  'cause  they  can't. 
There's  so  many  wounded,  there  ain't  enough  men 
to  go  on  the  scout,  and  get  the  grain  too  ;  and 
they've  got  to  get  the  grain,  'cause  if  they  don't 
we  won't  have  any  thing  to  eat  next  winter." 

Thus  the  children  speculated  respecting  the 
future,  and  lightened  their  toil  by  building  castles 
in  the  air. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  91 


CHAPTER   VIII. 

TREADING   OUT   THE   GRAIN. 

DURING  the  past  season,  wheat  and  other 
grain  had  assumed  in  the  eyes  of  the  set- 
tlers a  greater  relative  importance  than  ever  be- 
fore. 

Wheat,  oats,  and  barley  could  be  raised  abun- 
dantly on  the  burnt  land ;  but  hitherto  there  had 
been  very  little  inducement  to  raise  either  of  those 
grains,  because  they  could  not  make  use  of  them 
as  articles  of  food  to  any  extent,  and  they  did  not 
pay  when  carried  to  market. 

Corn  had  heretofore  been  their  main  depend- 
ence :  that  they  could  pound,  and  make  into  bread. 
With  corn  they  could  keep  and  fatten  swine ;  and, 
in  time  of  peace,  hams  paid  when  carried  to  mar- 
ket on  pack-horses ;  and  pork  was  also  the  staple 
article  of  food. 

But  the   Indians  and  the  mill   had   effected   a 


92  FOREST    GLEN  ;    OH, 

complete  revolution.  The  different  grains  were 
now  of  more  value  to  them  than  Indian  corn, 
because  they  could  grind  the  grain.  The  Scotch 
could  have  their  oatmeal ;  and  the  others,  wheat 
flour,  barley,  and  rye,  to  mix  with  their  corn-meal ; 
and  they  were  delivered  from  the  drudgery  of  the 
hominy-block. 

It  was  less  work  to  sow  grain  than  to  plant  corn 
and  hoe  it :  therefore  there  was  less  exposure  to 
Indians  while  doing  it.  Grain  was  not  so  much 
exposed  to  the  depredations  of  crows,  blue-jays, 
coons,  squirrels,  deer,  and  bears.  Deer  could  be 
kept  out  by  fences,  but  birds,  bears,  coons,  and 
squirrels  could  not. 

When  a  bear  enters  a  corn-field,  he  goes  among 
the  corn,  sits  on  his  breech,  stretches  out  his  paws, 
and,  gathering  between  them  all  the  corn  he  can 
reach,  lies  down  on  the  heap,  and  munches  the 
ears  that  lie  on  top  ;  then  going  along,  breaks  down 
more,  thus  destroying  a  great  deal  more  than  he 
eats.  The  coons  make  up  in  numbers  what  they 
lack  in  size,  and  are  often  more  destructive  than 
the  bears.  There  is  nothing,  except  honey,  that 
bears  and  coons  love  so  well  as  corn  in  the  milk : 
the  grain  duo.3  not  possess  such  attraction. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  93 

There  was  still  another  reason  that  diminished 
the  importance  of  corn  in  the  opinion  of  the  set- 
tlers at  this  juncture  of  their  affairs.  Corn  had 
obtained  its  paramount  importance  because  it  was 
the  best,  and,  indeed,  was  considered  the  only  food 
suitable  for  fattening  swine  ;  and  pork,  beef,  and 
corn-bread  were  the  great  staples  of  life.  But 
neither  pork  nor  beef  could  be  preserved  with- 
out salt,  and  salt  could  be  procured  (while  the 
country  was  filled  with  hostile  Indians)  onl}~  with 
great  labor  and  at  the  risk  of  life.  In  the  grain, 
however,  that  the  mill  enabled  them  to  make  use 
of,  they  found  a  substitute ;  and  so  much  less  pork 
and  other  meat  was  required,  that,  with  what  salt 
they  had  on  hand,  they  could,  by  securing  a  good 
grain-crop,  preserve  meat  sufficient  to  carry  them 
through  the  winter. 

In  this  condition  of  things  the  settlers  had 
planted  but  little  corn,  and  kept  but  few  hogs, 
but  had  sown  a  large  breadth  of  wheat,  rye,  oats, 
barley,  and  pease,  and  planted  a  good  many  beans; 
intending  to  eat  more  bread  and  less  meat,  as 
cattle  and  hogs  were  liable  to  be  killed  by  Indians, 
and  hunting  and  fishing  could  only  be  prosecuted 
at  the  risk  of  life. 


94  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

The  harvest  was  abundant;  and  the  settlers 
were  making  the  most  strenuous  efforts  to  secure 
it,  although  many  of  them  worked  in  misery  by 
reason  of  their  wounds.  Those  who  had  the  use 
of  but  one  arm  brought  the  sheaves  to  the  stacks 
with  the  other.  Those  who  had  the  use  of  both 
arms,  but  were  wounded  in  the  leg,  made  bands 
for  the  binders;  or  going  about  the  house  on 
crutches,  with  a  child  to  help  them,  superintended 
the  cooking  while  their  wives  and  mothers  were 
at  work  in  the  field.  Some  who  were  wounded  in 
the  head  or  trunk  of  the  body  managed  to  rake 
together  in  bunches  for  the  binders. 

Our  young  people  will  thus  perceive  the  impor- 
tance of  the  grain-crop  to  the  settlers,  and  like- 
wise why  they  were  willing  to  incur  so  fearful  a 
risk  to  preserve  it,  when  they  might  have  remained 
behind  their  defences,  and  repulsed  the  foe  with 
safety  to  themselves. 

When  the  wheat  was  put  in  stooks,  the  other 
grains  housed,  and  the  pease  and  beans  secured, 
the  wounded  and  the  women  were  excused  from 
labor. 

•There  was  still,  however,  much  to  be  done  ;  for 
so  long  as  the  grain  was  in  the  stack,  or  even  in 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  95 

the  barns,  it  was  liable  to  be  destroyed  by  Indians, 
and  even  more  so,  as  it  was  more  compact.  In 
order  to  be  secure,  it  must  be  inside  the  fort. 

Threshing  with  flails  was  hard  work,  in  which 
the  wounded  could  not  engage,  and  it  was  a  slow 
process.  It  was  necessary  to  lose  no  time,  as  they 
might  be  attacked  again. 

When  the  mill  was  built,  some  plank  were  left ; 
and  with  a  whip-saw  Israel  Blanchard  and  Seth 
manufactured  some  more,  and  laid  a  platform  on 
the  ground  near  the  fort,  within  rifle-shot,  and 
built  a  fence  around  it. 

On  this  platform  they  laid  a  great  flooring  of 
grain ;  and  having  kept  the  horses  and  mules  with- 
out food  over  night,  and  exercised  them  before- 
hand to  empty  their  stomachs,  turned  them  into 
the  enclosure,  and  drove  them  over  the  grain  with 
whips. 

When  one  flooring  was  threshed  they  put  on 
another,  and  thus  beat  out  the  grain  much  faster 
than  they  could  have  done  it  by  hand,  had  they 
all  been  in  a  condition  to  labor. 

The  grain,  chaff  and  all,  was  carried  into  the 
stockade,  and  put  on  the  floor  of  the  block-house 
and  flankers  in  heaps.  It  was  now  safe  from  foes 


96  FOREST    GLEX;    OR, 

and  weather.  Afterwards,  as  the  wind  served,  it 
was  carried  out  and  winnowed  on  the  same  plat- 
form. The  mill  afforded  an  excellent  place  in 
which  to  store  it,  being  dry,  and  well  ventilated  by 
loop-holes. 

The  settlers  now  obtained  the  rest  so  much 
needed ;  and  the  greatest  care  was  besto\ved  upon 
the  wounded,  who  had  evidently  not  been  bene- 
fited by  the  labor  absolute  necessity  had  com- 
pelled them  to  perform.  Such  is  the  life  of  a 
people  living  on  the  frontiers  during  an  Indian 
war.  Wherever  you  go,  and  whatever  you  are 
doing,  it  is  necessary  to  be  armed  and  on  your 
guard ;  for  life  is  the  forfeit  of  negligence.  You 
can  never  commence  any  work  with  the  certainty 
of  finishing  it.  When  you  lie  down  at  night,  the 
weapon  must  be  within  reach  of  your  hand. 

The  human  mind  possesses  a  wonderful  power 
of  adapting  itself  to  circumstances,  and  becoming 
reconciled  to  those  apparently  calculated  to  pro- 
duce prolonged  torture.  Surrounded  by  too  many 
real  causes  of  anxiety  to  concern  themselves  about 
imaginary  ones,  these  people,  when  not  under  the 
pressure  of  actual  suffering,  were  cheerful,  patient 
in  trial ;  and  no  one  entering  their  families  would 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  97 

have  suspected  from  appearances  that  they  were 
at  any  moment  liable  to  be  called  to  struggle  for 
their  lives,  and  also  perfectly  sensible  of  it. 

During  the  stormy  times  we  have  described, 
Scipio  was  nowhere  to  be  found.  It  was  in 
accordance  with  the  usual  course  of  things  for 
Scipio  and  Mr.  Seth  to  retire  from  action  in  times 
of  danger. 

It  was  taken  for  granted  that  the  negro  had 
concealed  himself  somewhere,  and  would  appear 
when  the  danger  was  past.  During  the  season  of 
greatest  peril,  all  were  too  much  occupied  to  waste 
a  thought  on  the  matter ;  but  Scipio  was  an  excel- 
lent reaper,  and  when  they  began  to  cut  the  grain 
the  black  was  both  missed  and  needed. 

"  Boys,  what  has  become  of  Scip  ?  Hunt  him 
up.  He's  hid  away  somewhere,"  said  his  master. 

"  We  have  hunted,  Mr.  Blan chard,"  said  Archie 
Crawford,  "  in  the  potato-hole,  under  the  pig-pen, 
in  the  flankers,  and  everywhere  we  knowed ;  and 
can't  find  nothing  on  him." 

"Perhaps  he's  hid  away  in  the  old  Cuthbert 
house." 

"  No,  sir :  we've  looked  there  and  in  the  mill." 

The  matter  was  dropped  for  the  time ;  but  when 


98  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

the  harvest  was  gathered,  and  no  Scip  made  his 
appearance,  there  was  a  general  anxiety  mani- 
fested, for  the  negro  was  a  valuable  member  of  the 
little  community.  He  was  a  good  mechanic,  his 
master  having  taught  him  the  use  of  tools.  He 
was  very  strong  and  good  at  any  kind  of  farm 
work.  Unlike  most  slaves,  he  was  not  indolent, 
and  would  allow  no  man  to  outdo  him.  He  was  a 
great  wrestler,  and  could  jump  and  run  with  the 
best ;  he  was  also  an  excellent  shot  at  a  mark,  any 
small  game,  or  deer,  but  was  too  much  of  a  coward 
to  face  a  wolf  or  bear.  He  was  an  excellent  cook, 
and  a  great  favorite  with  the  good  wives.  No- 
body could  bring  the  butter  so  quick,  or  tie  a 
broom  to  the  handle  so  fast,  as  Scip :  and  he  was  a 
capital  basket-maker,  a  lucky  fisherman,  could  sing 
and  play  on  the  jew's-harp,  and  beat  a  drum. 

Scip  loved  the  children  with  all  his  heart ;  and 
they  returned  his  affection  with  interest,  and 
shared  whatever  they  had  with  him,  though  they 
sometimes  amused  themselves  by  working  on  his 
dread  of  the  Indians.  Scip  had  two  prominent 
failings,  —  he  would  steal  eggs,  and  lie  to  cover 
the  theft. 

It  was  not  at  first  thought  possible  that   the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  99 

black,  who  cherished  a  chronic  fear  of  Indians, 
would  leave  the  fort,  a  place  of  safety ;  hut,  when 
every  part  of  it  had  been  searched  in  vain,  Israel 
Blanchard  said,  — 

"  It's  plain  he's  not  in  the  garrison  :  he's  taken 
to  the  woods,  and  got  lost ;  or  else  he's  got  into  the 
river  to  hide,  and  the  current's  carried  him  off,  and 
he's  drowned." 

"  He  may  have  got  lost  in  the  woods,"  said 
Holdness,  "  that's  likely  enough ;  but  there's  not 
water  enough  in  Raystown  branch  to  drown  that 
darky :  he  swims  like  an  otter." 

"I'll  tell  you  what  to  do,"  said  Mrs.  Honey- 
wood  :  "  take  something  Scip  has  worn,  a  stocking 
or  shirt,  let  Fan  smell  of  it,  and  set  her  to  seek ; 
she'll  find  if  he's  above  ground,  or,  if  he's  under 
ground,  she'll  find  where  he's  buried." 

"  It's  too  late,  wife :  the  scent's  all  gone,  long 
ago.  The  slut  can't  track  him." 

"Well,  then,"  said  Harry  Sumerford,  "we  boys'll 
take  all  the  pups  and  the  old  slut  to  boot ;  and, 
between  them  and  ourselves,  we'll  find  him." 

Harry,  the  young  men,  and  all  the  children 
started  with  no  less  than  seven  dogs,  and  went  in 
different  directions  through  the  woods,  the  dogs 
being  divided  among  them. 


100  FOREST    GLEN  ;    OR, 

Cal  Holdness  and  Harry  were  together,  accom- 
panied by  Fan ;  the  shit  running  through  the 
woods,  and  then  returning  to  them.  At  length 
they  heard  her  barking  at  a  distance  in  the  woods. 

"  She's  treed  something,"  said  Harry,  —  "  most 
like  a  bear  or  a  coon.  A  bear  ought  to  be  in 
decent  order  now." 

Following  the  sound,  they  found  Fan  sitting  at 
the  butt  of  a  great  pine.  As  they  approached, 
she  began  to  bark,  whine,  and  scratch  the  dead 
bark  off  the  roots  of  the  tree. 

"  A  bear  wouldn't  be  denning  this  time  of  year. 
I'll  wager  it's  Scip,"  said  Harry. 

The  tree  was  nearly  dead ;  had  a  short  butt, 
that,  after  running  about  eighteen  feet,  divided 
into  three  large  branches ;  and  an  ash,  uprooted  by 
the  wind,  lay  in  the  crotch.  After  quieting  the 
dog,  Harry,  standing  at  the  foot  of  the  tree,  began 
to  call  Scip  by  name,  and  tell  him  that  the  Indians 
were  gone.  For  some  fifteen  minutes  there  was 
no  answer ;  but  at  length  Scip's  woolly  head  ap- 
peared in  the  crotch  of  the  tree,  and  by  degrees 
was  followed  by  his  body.  Harry  and  Cal  always 
contended  that  he  was  pale. 

"  Come  down  here,  Scip,"  shouted  Cal :  "  the 
Indians  are  gone." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  101 

"  Won't  dey  come  back  ?  " 

"Not  without  they  come  from  another  world: 
we've  killed  most  of  'em." 

"Hab  dey  killed  Massa  Blanchard  and  all  de 
rest  but  you  ?  " 

"  No :  they  haven't  killed  but  three,  —  Mr.  Stiefel, 
Wood,  and  David  Blanchard.  Come  down." 

Scip,  now  satisfied,  quickly  descended  along  the 
trunk  of  the  windfall,  to  the  great  joy  of  Fan,  who 
almost  flung  him  down,  jumping  on  him,  and  lick- 
ing his  black  face. 

"  How  did  you  know  about  that  tree,  Scip  ? " 
said  Harry .  "  how'd  you  know  'twas  hollow  ?  " 

"  Massa  McClure  kill  a  bear  dere  last  fall." 

When  Scip  heard  that  more  than  a  hundred 
Indians  were  coming  to  attack  the  fort,  he  felt 
sure  they  would  take  it,  and  determined  to  flee  to 
this  tree,  taking  provisions  with  him.  When 
asked  how  he  came  to  take  that  course,  he  replied 
that  he  recollected  when  the  Indians  killed  Alex- 
ander McDonald's  family,  that  his  nephew  Donald 
was  at  some  distance  from  the  house,  in  the  woods, 
and,  by  hiding  away  there,  saved  his  life ;  and  so 
he  thought  it  best  to  hide  in  the  woods,  for  he 
knew  the  Indians  would  take  the  fort. 


102  FOKEST  GLEN  ;    OR, 


CHAPTER   IX. 

A   LITTLE   SUNSHINE. 

A  week  had  passed  since  the  occurrence  of  the 
events  just  narrated. 

It  was  a  sunny  morning ;  and  Mrs.  Sumerford 
was  busily  employed  in  weaving,  having  in  the 
loom  a  web  of  linen. 

The  dwelling  of  this  motherly  woman,  so  much 
beloved  by  her  neighbors  and  especially  by  all  the 
young  fry,  was  a  log  house  of  the  rudest  descrip- 
tion ;  still  there  was  about  it  that  air  of  neatness 
and  comfort  that  a  thrifty  woman  will  create 
under  almost  any  circumstances. 

The  Avails  were  of  rough  logs,  and  the  openings 
between  them  stuffed  with  moss ;  but  it  was 
driven  as  hard  as  the  oakum  in  a  vessel's  seams, 
and  trimmed  at  the  edges  with  a  sharp  knife, 
The  bullet-proof  shutters  were  hung  with  wooden 
hinges  from  the  top,  and,  instead  of  sliding,  swung 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  103 

up  to  the  chamber  floor,  that  was  made  of  peeled 
poles. 

The  kitchen  presented  one  feature  not  pre- 
cisely in  keeping  with  the  rest  of  the  house ; 
namely,  a  nice  board  floor,  which,  after  the  advent 
of  the  whip-saw,  Harry  had  substituted  for  the 
original  one  of  flattened  poles  (or  puncheons). 

In  one  corner  was  a  bedstead  ;  for  the  room 
served  the  different  purposes  of  kitchen,  sleeping- 
room,  and  place  of  common  resort.  At  the  win- 
dows were  curtains  of  bulrushes ;  the  floor  was 
white  and  sanded ;  and  the  bed  boasted  a  linen 
spread,  beautifully  figured.  In  a  side  room  was 
the  loom  at  which  Mrs.  Sumerford  was  weaving. 
All  the  clothing  for  four  boys  and  herself  was 
spun  and  woven  from  flax  and  wool,  and  made  up 
by  this  goodly,  pains-taking  woman,  who,  though 
extremely  sensitive  in  respect  to  any  danger  that 
menaced  her  family,  did  not  hesitate,  as  we  have 
just  seen,  to  handle  the  rifle  in  their  defence. 

Stretched  at  full  length  on  the  hearth,  lay  a 
white-faced  bear  sound  asleep,  with  his  right  paw 
on  his  nose ;  and  between  his  hind  and  fore  legs 
was  the  baby,  also  sound  asleep,  his  head  pillowed 
on  the  bear,  and  his  right  hand  clutching  the 
creature's  fur. 


104  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

Sammy,  with  his  wounded  leg  resting  in  a  chair, 
was  making  a  fancy  cane,  by  peeling  the  bark 
from  a  stick  of  moose-wood  in  a  serpentine  curve, 
and  so  as  to  show  the  white  wood  in  contrast  wiih 
the  dark  and  mottled  bark. 

Alex  and  Enoch  were  dressing  each  other's 
wounds,  and  permitting  the  dog  to  lick  them  ;  the 
tongue  of  a  dog  being  considered,  by  the  frontier 
folks,  a  wonderful  specific  for  healing  gun-shot 
wounds. 

Harry  was  on  his  knees  in  the  corner  of  the 
fire-place,  running  bullets,  and  melting  his  lead 
in  a  wooden  ladle.  Somebody  may  wonder  how 
he  could  melt  lead  in  a  wooden  ladle.  Well,  he 
made  the  fire  inside,  with  bits  of  charcoal ;  and,  as 
the  coal  was  lighter  than  the  lead,  when  the  latter 
melted,  the  charcoal  and  dust  floated  on  top,  and 
could  be  blown  off.  The  ladle  burned  up  after  a 
while,  but  not  very  speedily ;  and  it  cost  nothing 
but  a  little  work  to  make  another.  All  were 
busily  engaged ;  and  there  was  little  to  break  the 
([iiiet  of  the  morning,  save  the  monotonous  sound 
of  Mrs.  Sumerford's  loom,  as  she  sprung  the 
treadles,  and  beat  up  the  filling-  with  the  beam, 
when  a  great  clamor  of  voices  was  heard  outside, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  105 

and  a  whole  flock  of  children,  girls  and  boys, 
rushed  in  at  the  open  door. 

The  dog  began  to  wag  his  tail,  and  rub  up 
against  the  children  for  recognition.  The  bear 
took  his  paw  from  his  nose,  and  gaped,  showing 
his  white  teeth ;  but,  as  the  baby  did  not  wake, 
went  to  sleep  again. 

"  Well,  well,  what's  in  the  wind  now  ?  "  said 
Mrs.  Sumerford. 

"  Don't  you  think,  Mrs.  Sumerford,"  cried  Bobby 
Holt,  "  they've  given  us  some  of  the  powder  what 
the  Indians  that  was  killed  had  in  their  pouches ; 
and  we're  going  to  shoot  wild  pigeons,  and  go  in 
swimming:  we  hain't  been  in  swimming  this 
year." 

"  Us  girls."  said  Maud  Stewart,  "  are  going 
after  blueberries  on  the  mountains,  while  the  boys 
are  gunning  and  swimming." 

'- 1  wish  I  could  go,"  said  Sam. 

"  We'll  bring  you  some  pigeons,  and  you  can 
go  with  us  when  you  get  well,"  said  Archie  Cra\v- 
ford. 

"  I  don't  know  about  you  children  going  in  the 
woods.  Who  told  you  you  might  go  ?  "  said  Mrs. 
Sumerford. 


106  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"  Mother  said  we  might  go,"  said  Jane  Holt. 

"Father  said  I  might  go,"  said  Ike  Proctor. 

"  Did  Mr.  Holdness,  or  McClure,  or  Mr.  Honey- 
wood,  know  you  were  going  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know  as  they  did ;  but  father  said  the 
Indians  had  had  such  a  browsing  lately,  they'd  be 
shy  of  meddling  with  Wolf  Run  folks  for  a  spell." 

"  That  wouldn't  hinder  them  from  prowling 
round,  and  snapping  you  up.  Only  think  of  Pru- 
dence Holdness.  There  hadn't  been  an  Indian 
sign  seen  anywhere,  and  she  only  went  out  to  pick 
a  few  herbs  for  her  sick  father,  and  was  carried  off; 
and  it  was  of  God's  mercy,  and  of  the  Black  Rifle, 
that  she  ever  got  back." 

"  We've  got  guns  •  we  know  how  to  shoot,  and 
we'll  shoot  'em,"  said  Archie  proudly,  "if  they 
come  near  us." 

"  Oh,  my !  hear  the  roosters  crow.  You  won't 
be  behind"  the  loop-holes  down  there  in  the  woods. 
-  What  do  you  think  of  it,  Harry  ?  " 

"  Let  'em  go,  mother :  I  don't  think  there's  any 
danger.  Only  look  at  it:  these  children  were 
cooped  up  in  garrison  all  winter ;  in  the  spring 
they  had  but  little  liberty,  for  since  Prudence 
Ifoldncss  was  carried  off  they  have  been  kept  in; 
and  it's  a  hard  case." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  107 

"  Well,  Harry,  I  slia'n't  have  one  minute's  peace 
if  they  do  go." 

"  Well,  mother,  let  'em  go  ;  and,  if  you  feel  so, 
I'll  get  Mr.  Holdness  and  Nat  Cuthbert,  and  we'll 
take  our  guns  and  follow  'em.  You  know  we 
haven't  got  so  many  hogs  this  year  as  usual,  and 
the  pigeons  help  out  the  pork-trough.  I  think  we 
ought  to  kill  all  the  game  and  catch  all  the  fish  we 


"  O  mother !  "  cried  Sammy :  "  you've  got  flour 
now ;  and  won't  you  make  some  berry-pies,  and  a 
pigeon-pie  with  crust,  for  me,  'cause  I'm  wounded 
and  can't  go  ?  Won't  you,  ma'am  ?  " 

"  Yes ;  but  I  don't  feel,  I  can't  feel,  it's  what 
ought  to  be,  for  all  these  children  to  go  into  the 
woods,  even  if  the  men  do  go.  Three  of  'em  can't 
have  their  eyes  everywhere,  and  watch  so  many ; 
and  they  may  shoot  each  other,  so  many  guns  in 
children's  hands." 

Mrs.  Sumerford  sat  down  to  her  loom  in  a  frame 
of  mind  far  from  quiet. 

"We  wanted  Scip  to  go,"  said  Jim  Grant,  "and 
Mr.  Blanchard  said  lie  might :  he  was  dying  to  go, 
but  he  was  so  scared  of  the  Indians!  but  if  Mr. 
Holdness,  Harry,  and  Nat  go,  he  won't  be.  I'll  go 


FOREST   CLKN;    OR, 

and  get  him,  and  come  after  with  him  and  the 
men." 

Whatever  Mrs.  Sumerford's  opinion  might  be  in 
respect  to  the  capabilities  of  the  children,  she 
knew  very  well  that  Harry  would  not  come  home 
empty-handed.  So  after  an  early  dinner,  she  got 
out  the  sieve  (a  moose-hide  punched  full  of  holes 
with  a  burning-iron)  and  flour,  and  mixed  the 
dough  ready  for  use  when  needed. 

First  came  the  girls,  with  their  pails  full  of  ber- 
ries ;  then  the  boys,  each  with  a  load  of  pigeons 
slung  on  his  gun;  finally  Harry  came  with  as 
many  as  he  could  carry,  saying  he  believed  there 
were  half  as  many  pigeons  in  the  woods  as  leaves 
on  the  trees. 

Sammy  wanted  all  of  them  to  stay  to  supper, 
especially  Scip.  Mrs.  Sumerford,  who  could  never 
have  too  many  children  round  her,  was  as  desirous 
to  have  them  stop  as  was  Sammy ;  but  she  said  it 
would  never  do,  because  the}'  would  want  to  stop 
and  play  a  while  after  supper,  and  their  parents 
would  think  the  Indians  had  carried  them  off. 
Didn't  Mr.  Crawford  go  out  to  shoot  pigeons,  and 
come  within  one  of  being  shot  by  an  Indian,  and 
would  have  been,  hadn't  the  hog  took  at  the  In- 
dian ? 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  109 

The  children  wanted  so  much  to  stay,  and  Sam- 
my was  so  anxious  to  have  them,  that  Nat  Cuth- 
bert,  who  came  in  with  Harry,  said  he  would  get 
on  the  horse  and  take  some  pigeons  (as  there  were 
ten  times  as  many  as  they  could  eat),  and  give  to 
the  families  around,  and  tell  them  the  children 
were  safe. 

"  Well,  Scip,"  said  Mrs.  Sumerford,  "  if  you  are 
going  to  stop,  you  may  make  the  pigeon-pie,  and 
I'll  make  the  berry  ones." 

This  announcement  was  received  with  shouts  by 
the  children,  for  they  well  knew  Scip  had  no  rival 
for  getting  up  a  savory  mess. 

After  he  had  washed  his  face  and  hands,  Mrs. 
Sumerford  put  an  apron  on  him,  and  he  set  to 
work. 

The  girls  picked  over  the  berries,  and  the  boys 
plucked  the  pigeons.  There  were  many  hungry 
mouths,  and  Scip  made  corresponding  preparations. 
There  was  no  oven :  but  Scip  lined  a  kettle  with 
crust,  put  in  his  pigeons  and  other  things,  and  put 
on  the  upper  crust ;  then,  putting  a  large  iron 
bake-pan  over  the  mouth  of  the  kettle,  set  it  on 
the  coals,  and  filled  the  pan  with  hot  coals. 

Mrs.  Sumerford's  plates  were  all  either  wood  01 


110  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

pewter;  but  she  was  better  off  than  some,  for  she 
hud  one  large  earthen  pan  for  milk,  and  one  small- 
er one.  She  made  her  pie  in  the  small  one,  and 
baked  it  in  the  Dutch  oven  which  she  borrowed 
from  Mrs.  Honeywood  for  the  occasion :  she  also 
made  a  berry-cake,  and  baked  it  on  a  board  set 
before  the  fire,  with  a  stone  behind  to  hold  it  up. 
Potatoes  were  baked  in  the  ashes. 

Notwithstanding  the  lack  of  the  customary 
utensils,  and  more  than  all  of  an  oven,  she  made 
a  capital  pie :  it  was  not  only  good,  but  a  good  deal 
of  it.  Scip  was  equally  successful,  and  made  a 
glorious  pie. 

"Dere,  chillen  [setting  it  on  the  table  in  the 
kettle],  he  good  stew  ebber  man  put  in  his 
mouf:  under  crust  done,  upper  crust  jes  brown." 
The  very  dog  began  to  lick  his  chops  as  he  inhaled 
the  savory  smell. 

After  the  repast  they  decorated  the  house  with 
boughs  of  sassafras,  locusts,  wild  flowers,  and  the 
pods  of  the  cucumber-tree,  and  Scip  played  on  the 
jew's-harp.  You  would  have  thought  they  had 
just  got  out  of  prison,  they  were  so  wild  and  full 
of  tickle  ;  and  in  one  sense  they  had,  having  been 
confined  to  a  limited  circle  around  their  homes, 


TH::  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  Ill 

kept  hard  at  work  in  the  field,  or  set  to  fight  for 
their  lives  with  the  Indians. 

None  of  the  inmates  of  the  garrison,  old  or 
young,  were  so  supremely  happy  as  Scip;  and 
before  they  separated  he  hugged  the  children  all 
round,  and  they  hugged  him,  and  Dan  Mugford 
made  the  philosophical  reflection,  that  if  the  In 
dians  had  killed  them  all,  Scip  never  could  have 
made  that  pie,  nor  could  they  have  enjoyed  the 
pleasure  of  eating  it. 

The  children  now  naturally  supposed  that  the 
bars  were  all  to  be  taken  down,  and  that  they 
were  to  enjoy  their  old-time  liberty :  therefore  the 
next  morning,  the  moment  the  chores  were  done 
and  the  cattle  turned  to  pasture,  they  were  about 
to  set  forth  on  a  fishing  expedition,  when,  to  their 
no  small  surprise  and  grief,  they  were  told  that  this 
liberty  had  been  granted  them  because  of  their 
long  confinement  in  close  quarters,  and  also  to 
show  how  highly  their  good  behavior  and  pluck 
(when  the  fort  was  threatened  by  the  Indians) 
was  appreciated,  but  that  they  could  not  go  again 
for  a  week  at  least.  It  would  be  useless  for  me  to 
attempt  to  describe  how  slowly  and  wearily  the 
hours  dragged  along  for  some  days.  The  settlers 


112  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

were  restricted  from  hunting  as  much  as  usual,  on 
the  account  of  the  risk  of  life  and  scarcity  of 
powder  and  lead.  They  had  raised  a  less  number 
of  cattle  and  hogs,  because  the  animals  were  liable 
to  be  killed  by  prowling  Indians  in  the  pasture, 
and  there  was  a  lack  of  salt  with  whicl^to  preserve 
pork  and  beef. 

In  this  condition  of  affairs,  the  settlers,  ever 
fruitful  in  expedients,  hit  upon  another  method  to 
supply  themselves  with  food,  namely,  by  rearing  a 
great  number  of  fowls.  These  could  be  kept  on 
grain,  of  which  they  had  an  abundance,  and,  in 
the  event  of  their  being  compelled  to  live  in  garri- 
son, could  be  kept  very  well  inside  the  stockade  ; 
and  the  eggs  and  flesh  would  afford  a  constant 
supply  of  food. 

The  children  were  therefore  encouraged  to  raise 
chickens  and  other  kinds  of  fowl ;  and  they  en- 
gaged in  the  business  with  a  will.  They  set  every 
hen,  duck,  and  turkey,  that  wanted  to  sit,  and  a 
good  many  that  did  not ;  fastening  them  on  the 
nests  with  baskets  and  boxes  of  birch-bark,  and 
even  tying  them  on  with  strings.  When,  as  was 
often  the  case,  two  hens  had  each  a  small  brood 
of  chickens,  they  gave  both  broods  to  one  hen  to 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  113 

bring  up,  in  order  that  the  other  might  go  to  lay- 
ing ;  and  the  same  with  turkeys  and  ducks. 

The  greatest  rivalry  took  place  among  the  boys, 
each  anxious  to  carry  off  the  palm.  Cut  off  from 
their  ordinary  sources  of  amusement,  they  gave 
their  whole  soul  to  this  work,  till  fowl  increased 
to  such  a  degree  that  Holdness  said,  "  You  can't 
step  without  treading  on  eggs  or  chickens,  nor  go 
into  the  hovels  to  look  for  any  tool,  but  a  sitting 
hen  will  fly  up  in  your  face." 

Those  were  glorious  days  for  Scip  :  he  could 
steal  all  the  eggs  he  wished  to ;  there  were  so 
many,  no  one  suspected  him. 

Archie  Crawford  had  reared  a  noble  flock  of 
ducks,  of  which  he  was  excessively  proud.  He 
took  great  delight  in  watching  them,  as,  after- 
being  let  out  in  the  morning,  they  waddled  off  to 
the  swamp  in  Indian  file,  the  bright  colors  on  the 
necks  of  the  drakes  glistening  in  the  rays  of  the 
morning  sun,  returning  at  night  in  the  same 
manner. 

Three  of  those  dreary  days  had  passed ;  and,  on 
the  morning  of  the  fourth,  Archie  had  fed  and 
was  watching  his  ducks  as  they  ate  up  the  corn. 
With  him  were  Bobby  Holt  and  Ike  Proctor.  The 


114  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

faces  of  the  boys  were  clouded,  and  they  added  to 
their  discontent  by  talking  about  the  hard  expe- 
rience they  were  just  then  undergoing. 

Their  conference  was  interrupted  by  the  loud 
"quack,  quack,"  of  the  old  drake  as  he  started  for 
the  swamp,  the  ducks  and  young  drakes  falling 
into  line  behind  him,  with  responsive  but  more 
subdued  quacks. 

"  Wish  I  was  a  duck  !  "  said  Archie  moodily. 

"  What  do  you  want  to  be  a  duck  for  ?  "  said 
Ike  Proctor. 

"  'Cause  I  could  go  to  the  swamp  or  the  river, 
go  a-fishing  or  frogging,  or  anywhere  I  had  a  mind 
to,  then ;  but,  'cause  I'm  only  a  boy,  I  have  to 
stay  in  prison." 

Hugh  Crawford,  who  was  putting  a  handle  to 
an  axe  before  the  door,  heard  the  remark.  The 
disconsolate  tone  in  which  it  was  uttered  touched 
him  ;  and  he  said,  — 

"  You  shall  go  fishing,  Archie ;  and  Ike  and 
Bobby  too.  I'll  take  my  rifle,  and  go  with  you,  as 
soon  as  I  put  this  axe-handle  on,  and  wedge  it." 

The  boys  ran  to  get  their  lines  and  bait,  and 
were  soon  following  the  trail  of  the  ducks. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  115 


CHAPTER   X. 

LIBERTY  IS   SWEET. 

TI^HE  wounded  men  were  now  rapidly  recover- 
JL  ing ;  and,  in  proportion  as  their  means  of 
defence  increased,  the  anxieties  of  the  settlers 
diminished ;  and,  feeling  that  it  was  hard  treat- 
ment of  the  children  to  deprive  them  altogether 
of  going  upon  these  excursions,  so  dear  to  the 
young,  they  followed  the  example  set  by  Hugh 
Crawford.  First  one  and  then  another  would 
take  three  or  more  children  with  them  into  the 
woods  and  to  the  river,  shooting  pigeons,  picking 
berries,  and  catching  fish ;  and  this  all  helped  the 
food  supply.  Very  little  powder  was  expended 
in  killing  pigeons,  they  were  so  numerous ;  and 
thus  it  was  felt  that  the  operation  paid.  Thus, 
also,  in  respect  to  the  powder  given  to  the  chil- 
dren :  they  were  allowed  but  a  small  quantity ;  if 
they  wasted  it,  and  did  not  make  good  shots  and 


116  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

bring  home  either  the  powder  or  an  equivalent  in 
game,  they  got  no  more,  and  had  to  content  them- 
selves with  the  bow  and  arrow,  with  which  weapon 
they  could  kill  pigeons,  wild  turkeys,  coons,  and 
even  fish  in  shoal-water.  This  tended  to  make 
them  accurate  marksmen,  a  matter  of  vital  impor- 
tance to  the  settlers ;  and  therefore  they  seldom 
begrudged  the  powder  and  lead  given  to  the  chil- 
dren. 

This  arrangement  operated  very  well  for  a  time, 
it  was  in  such  pleasant  contrast  with  the  previous 
rigorous  confinement;  but  it  soon  wore  thread- 
bare, and  the  children  began  to  complain  that 
they  didn't  have  any  good  times.  They  didn't 
want  to  go  out  two  or  three  together,  under  guard , 
they  didn't  like  to  fool  afore  the  men ;  but  they 
wanted  to  go  out  by  themselves,  just  as  they 
always  did. 

When  the  majority  of  those  who  were  wounded 
had  recovered,  a  strong  scout  was  sent  out,  as  for- 
merly ;  and  the  children  (with  many  misgivings  on 
the  part  of  the  anxious  mothers,  and  abundance  of 
cautions  that  were  forgotten  the  next  moment) 
were  allowed  to  go. 

At  the  welcome  announcement,  boys  and  girls 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIENDSHIP.  117 

rushed  whooping  to  the  pastures,  bearing  guns, 
tomahawks,  and  baskets,  in  addition  to  which  each 
boy  carried,  tied  to  his  person,  a  number  of  in- 
flated bladders. 

The  extravagant  spirit  of  boyhood  vented  itself 
in  various  ways ;  some  procured  sticks,  and,  get- 
ting astride  of  them,  pranced  and  neighed  like 
horses ;  some  rolled  over  on  the  grass,  turning 
somersaults ;  others  played  with  the  dogs  that 
accompanied  them;  while  a  few  found  great  en- 
joyment in  simply  shouting  to  imaginary  Indians 
to  come  on. 

"  There'll  be  something  going  on  now,  you  may 
depend,"  said  Mrs.  Mugford,  as  she  looked  after 
the  party,  "since  Sammy  Sumerford  has  got  well 
of  his  wound,  and  is  among  "em." 

The  jubilant  troop  kept  together  till  near  the 
river,  where  they  separated,  the  girls  going  to  a 
high  bluff  where  -berries  grew,  and  the  boys  to  the 
river,  as  they  said,  to  go  in  swimming,  although 
none  of  them,  except  Sam  Sumerford,  Fred  Stiefel, 
and  Jim  Grant,  could  swim  more  than  half  a  dozen 
strokes. 

There  was  a  short  bend  in  the  river,  quite  nar- 
row, in  the  middle  of  which  was  a  deep  hole. 


118  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

Those  who  could  dive  amused  themselves  by  see- 
ing who  of  them  could  dive  to  the  bottom  and 
bring  up  two  handfuls  of  mud  as  an  evidence  of 
success ;  and  the  stream  in  this  place  was  so  nar- 
row, that,  with  two  or  three  strokes,  they  could 
reach  shoal-water.  The  others  began  to  float  and 
try  to  swim  on  bladders.  Ever  since  the  previous 
winter,  these  boys  had  been  imagining  what  a 
great  time  they  would  have  swimming  on  bladders 
whenever  they  were  again  allowed  to  be  at  liberty, 
and  had  added  fuel  to  the  fire  by  talking  it  over 
amongst  themselves ;  but,  after  all,  it  did  not  prove 
upon  trial  such  excellent  fun  as  they  had  antici- 
pated. 

They  could,  to  be  sure,  float  about  as  long  as 
they  pleased ;  but  it  is  necessary  to  lean  forward  to 
swim,  and  the  bladders  held  them  perpendicularly 
in  the  water,  like  a  spindle  buoy  on  a  ledge ;  and 
they  found  it  hard  work  to  make  any  progress  in 
the  water.  They  therefore  soon  became  tired,  and 
abandoned  them  for  logs  that  they  could  push 
wherever  they  liked.  As  the  bladders  had  not 
been  as  useful  as  they  expected,  nor  productive  of 
so  much  amusement,  Sammy  proposed  to  make  a 
raft  of  them. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  119 

This  suggestion  was  unanimously  approved. 
They  selected  dry  logs  from  the  drift-wood,  and 
lashed  several  of  them  together  with  cedar  bark; 
for  these  boys  were  apt  scholars,  and  had  learned 
from  their  elders  the  backwoods  arts.  The  raft 
was  long  in  proportion  to  its  breadth,  and  held 
together  by  crossbands  about  two  feet  apart. 
They  had  brought  more  than  thirty  bladders, 
nearly  all  belonging  to  the  last  year's  crop  of 
hogs,  some  from  hogs  killed  the  year  before,  a  few 
having  been  given  to  their  mothers  to  put  lard 
and  bear's  grease  in,  and  others  to  be  used  as 
syringes  for  cleansing  wounds. 

The  bladders  were  secured  to  the  poles  by 
strings  made  of  bark  stripped  very  fine,  and  which 
while  green  is  quite  strong. 

After  fastening  them  to  the  upper  side  of  the 
raft,  they  turned  it  over,  thus  bringing  them 
underneath.  It  was  a  magnificent  affair,  twenty 
feet  long  by  ten  wide,  and  floated  as  light  as  a 
feather,  although  the  poles  were  of  small  size, 
because  buoyed  up  by  the  great  number  of  blad- 
ders that  were  placed  under  the  ends. 

They  had  made  it  large  enough  to  carry  them- 
selves and  the  girls,  who  were  to  dine  with  them, 


120  FOREST   GLEN;    OK, 

and  whom  they  intended  to  give-  a  sail  on  the  raft. 
The  boys  were  exceedingly  proud  of  their  work- 
manship, and  often  exclaimed, — 

"  Isn't  it  nice  ?  Wouldn't  Tony  Stewart  like 
to  be  here?" 

Ike  Proctor  and  Archie  Crawford  now  went  to 
shoot  pigeons ;  others  built  a  fireplace,  and  brought 
wood  and  clay  in  which  the  birds  were  to  be 
enveloped  and  baked.  The  girls,  who  were  ex- 
pected to  cook  the  dinner,  had  brought  bread,  salt, 
spoons,  and  knives.  Birch-bark  furnished  plates, 
and  likewise  drinking-cups  that  were  made  by 
folding  the  bark  in  a  peculiar  way,  and  sticking 
thorns  at  the  corners. 

This  is  a  very  nice  way  to  make  drinking-cups  or 
a  vessel  to  hold  sap  in ;  it  is  done  in  a  moment, 
but  it  is  not  easy  to  describe.  While  this  was 
going  on,  Sammy  and  Will  Redmond  cut  long 
poles  with  which  to  move  and  steer  the  raft. 

All  was  no\v  ready,  and  they  shoved  off,  holding 
in  their  hands  boughs  to  catch  the  breeze ;  and 
away  they  went  before  the  wind  and  current, 
laughing,  shouting,  and  enjoying  themselves  to  the 
top  of  their  bent. 

No  such  good  time  as  that  could  the  older  peo- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  121 

pie  have  got  up  for  them.  Children  are  best  by 
themselves,  even  if  they  do  meet  with  head-flaws 
once  in  a  while,  and  pay  the  penalty  of  rashness. 
Experience  must  be  obtained  in  this  way,  to  a 
greater  or  less  extent. 

They  had  a  splendid  sail  down  stream,  but  were 
obliged  to  push  the  raft  back  with  setting  poles, 
and  against  the  stream.  However,  it  was  not  very 
hard  work,  as  they  kept  near  the  bank  where  the 
current  was  not  very  strong,  and  in  some  places 
an  eddy-current  setting  up  stream. 

They  had  just  commenced  another  voj^age,  and 
were  discussing  a  proposal  of  Jim  Grant  to  coax 
their  mothers  to  make  them  a  flax  rope,  or,  failing 
in  this,  to  persuade  Uncle  Seth  to  make  a  baric  one 
for  them,  in  order  that  they  might  be  able  to 
anchor  their  raft,  and  fish  from  it,  when  all  at  once 
the  bladders  under  the  after  end  of  the  raft 
floated  out,  the  bark  strings  that  fastened  them 
having  become  slippery  by  being  wet ;  and  they 
went  souse  into  the  stream.  They,  however,  re- 
gained the  raft,  and  held  by  the  forward  end  that 
was  supported  by  the  bladders,  and  managed  to 
keep  their  heads  out  of  water.  In  this  shape  they 
drifted  along  towards  a  large  rock  that  rose  in  the 


122  FOREST   GLEN,    OR, 

middle  of  the  stream,  and  upon  which  they  made 
out  to  scramble  just  as  the  raft  came  to  pieces,  and 
the  logs  and  bladders  went  drifting  down  stream. 
Though  safe,  they  were  not  in  a  very  enjoyable 
position.  The  rock  was  so  far  from  either  bank, 
that  no  one  of  them  felt  equal  to  the  task  of 
swimming  to  the  land  in  order  to  obtain  help  for 
the  rest. 

In  plain  sight  on  the  bank  lay  the  pigeons  and 
all  the  preparations  for  cooking.  The  girls  would 
soon  be  along  to  get  dinner  ;  and  they  were  cooped 
up  on  a  rock  in  the  middle  of  the  stream. 

"  Mr.  Holdriess,"  said  Will  Redmond,  "  has  got 
a  dug-out  behind  his  house,  what  they  sometimes 
go  down  to  Mr.  Honeywood's  place  in;  and  they'd 
come  and  get  us,  if  they  only  knowed  we  were 
here." 

"  Let's  screech,"  said  Ike. 

They  did  screech:  the  "Catamounts"  never 
screeched  louder;  but  the  wind  was  blowing 
against  them,  and  they  screamed  themselves 
hoarse,  to  no  purpose.  The  wind,  however,  that 
carried  the  sound  from  the  fort  and  the  dwellings, 
bore  it  to  the  ears  of  the  girls,  who,  terribly  fright- 
ened, dropped  their  pails  and  baskets,  and  ran  to 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  123 

the  nearest  house,  which  happened  to  be  Arm- 
strong's, with  eyes  full  of  tears,  panting,  and 
screaming  that  Indians  were  killing  the  boys,  and 
then  ran  to  spread  the  tidings. 

Armstrong,  his  son  Ned,  and  Will  Grant  (who 
happened  to  be  there),  seizing  their  rifles,  hastened 
to  the  river,  and,  when  arriving  where  they  could 
see  the  boys,  slacked  their  speed,  much  wondering 
how  they  came  on  that  rock.  The  next  moment 
the  alarm-gun  at  the  fort  sent  out  its  summons ; 
and  Stewart,  Holdness,  Harry  Sumerford,  and  Mc- 
Clure  came  running  to  the  spot. 

Harry  was  sent  round  to  stop  the  women  who 
were  fleeing  to  the  fort;  and  Ned  Armstrong 
crossed  the  ford  to  tell  the  scouts  who  were  seen 
in  the  distance,  hastening  home,  that  it  was  a  false 
alarm. 

They  were  now  in  no  haste  to  relieve  the  boys. 

"  Let  'em  screech,"  said  Holdness :  "  it's  the  best 
place  for  'em.  I  don't  know  but  'twould  be  a 
good  thing  to  leave  'em  there  all  night  and  to-mor- 
row, to  supple  'em  a  little." 

After  some  little  time,  the  dug-out  was  hauled 
down,  and  the  boys  brought  to  the  bank.  They 
begged  hard  to  be  allowed  to  keep  the  dug-out ; 


124  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

but  the  parents  were  so  much  provoked  with  them 
on  account  of  the  alarm  and  anxiety  they  had 
occasioned,  that  the  entreaty  met  with  a  stern 
denial. 

Congratulating  themselves  that  they  were  not 
ordered  home  and  shut  up  (as  they  fully  expected 
to  be  when  they  saw  how  angry  the  old  folks 
were),  and  joined  by  the  girls,  who  sympathized 
with  them,  they  made  the  best  of  their  misfor- 
tune. 

Some  of  the  boys  kindled  the  fire,  others 
brought  the  berries  from  the  mountain  (the  girls 
having  dropped  their  baskets  when  they  heard  the 
screams  of  the  boys),  and  Maud  Stewart  and  Jane 
Proctor  began  the  cooking. 

They  had  an  excellent  dinner,  and  the  best  time 
imaginable,  eating,  lolling  on  the  grass,  drying 
themselves  in  the  sun,  talking  over  their  mishap 
with  the  girls,  and  telling  them  all  about  it,  and 
that  they  were  going  to  give  them  a  sail  after 
dinner  if  the  raft  had  not  come  to  pieces. 

"  Let's  go  pick  up  the  bladders,  and  make  anoth- 
er," said  Sam. 

"  If  we  do,"  said  Dan,  "  maybe  'twill  come  to 
pieces ;  and  we  don't  want  to  get  the  girls  on  it, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  125 

« 

and  have  it  come  to  pieces,  and  drown  'em.  I 
think  we've  made  fuss  enough  for  one  day." 

"Why  don't  you  coax  Uncle  Seth  to  make  one? 
then  it  won't  come  to  pieces,"  said  Maud. 

"  He's  so  frightened  of  Indians,  you  never  could 
get  him  to  come  down  here.  I'll  coax  mother  to 
get  our  Harry  and  Knuck  and  Elick  to  come  here, 
and  shoot  pigeons,  and  guard  him ;  then  he'll 
come,"  said  Sam.  "  My  mother'll  do  most  any 
thing  for  me  now,  'cause  I've  been  wounded ;  arid 
so  my  brothers  will,  'cause  they  know  I  haven't 
got  Tony  to  play  with  me  any  more,  never." 

"  Oh,  how  I  do  wish  this  Indian  war  would  be 
done  !  "  said  Alice  Proctor ;  "  then  we  could  go 
anywhere  without  being  afraid,  and  our  mothers 
wouldn't  be  all  the  time  worrying.  I  think  it's 
awful :  seems  as  though,  if  it  keeps  on,  we  shall 
all  be  killed,  because  we  keep  having  fights,  and, 
every  time  we  have  a  fight,  somebody's  killed. 
There's  more  of  the  Indians  than  there  is  of  us  ; 
and  so  they'll  keep  coming  till  we  are  all  killed." 

"  If  it  wa'n't  for  the  Indian  war,  we  shouldn't 
have  guns  of  our  own,  and  so  much  powder  and 
lead,"  said  Jim  Grant. 

"  They  wouldn't  think  so  much  of  us,  neither," 


126  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

said  Fred  Stiefel.  "  We  wouldn't  be  nothing  but 
boys :  now  they  count  on  us.  Didn't  they  set  us 
to  hold  the  fort,  and  stand  watch?  and  didn't 
we  kill  a  lot  of  Indians?  I  tell  you,  we'd  'a' 
got  an  awful  lickin'  to-day  if  it  hadn't  been  for 
what  we  did  this  time  and  the  other  time,  when 
the  Indians  tried  to  take  the  fort." 

"  I  know  Mr.  Armstrong  wanted  to  lick  us,  and 
Mr.  Holdness  said  we  all  ought  to  have  a  good 
beating  ;  and  we'd  got  it,  if  'twa'n't  for  our  fighting 
so  well.  I'd  ruther  kill  Indians  than  pull  flax," 
said  Sam. 

"I'd  ruther  fight,  and  be  wounded  too,"  said 
Archie  Crawford,  "than  knock  sprouts  off  the 
stumps,  and  pull  fire-weed  all  day." 

"  Fightin'  ain't  so  bad,"  said  Sam.  "  I  love  to 
fight.  When  it's  all  still,  just  afore  they  begin, 
and  the  Indians  come,  lookin'  so  savage,  all 
painted,  a  body  feels  kind  of  bad ;  but  when  the 
Indians  begin  to  yell,  and  you  begin  to  yell,  and 
the  rifles  crack,  and  Mr.  Blanchard  or  Mr.  Honey- 
wood  sings  out,  'Now  we'll  see  who's  a  man 
and  who's  a  mouse !  fire  ! '  then  the  bad  feelin's 
all  gone.  Nobody  wants  to  be  a  mouse  :  and  you 
don't  care  one  bit  after  the  first  of  it." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  127 

"If  it  hadn't  been  for  the  Indian  war,"  said 
Archie  Crawford,  "  my  father  wouldn't  have  been 
killed,  and  Dan's  father,  and  Fred's." 

"  They  might  have  died,"  said  Sammy. 

"  They  couldn't  have  died,  if  they  hadn't  been 
killed  nor  hurted." 

"  Yes,  they  might :  folks  die  'cause  they're  sick." 

"  I  don't  believe  that  nobody  in  this  Run  ever 
died  'thout  they  was  killed.  How  can  anybody 
die,  'cept  they're  killed  or  drownded?  they  can't, 
I  know." 

"  I  tell  you  they  can :  they'll  be  took  sick,  and 
grown  all  pale,  and  their  flesh'll  all  go  away,  and 
they'll  go  to  bed,  and  grow  weak ;  and  bime-by 
they'll  get  so  weak  they  can't  live.  I've  heard  my 
mother  say  how  her  father  died.  Mr.  Holdness 
might  have  died.  Mother  says  the  rheumatism 
what  he  had  kills  folks  sometimes." 

" I  had  a  little  sister,"  said  Will  Redmond, "that 
her  throat  all  swelled,  and  she  couldn't  breathe, 
and  she  died." 

Archie  still  being  incredulous,  Maud  Stewart 
said,  — 

"  Why,  Archie,  there  is  a  man  buried  in  the 
graveyard  that  the  Indians  didn't  kill,  —  Mr.  Camp- 


128  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

bell.  I've  heard  mother  tell  how  he  is  all  the  one 
in  this  Hun  who  ever  died,  and  wasn't  killed  by 
Indians.  Don't  you  know  the  reason  Mrs.  Suni- 
erford  wanted  to  move  out  of  the  fort  was  because 
she  said  that  so  many  in  a  small  place,  all  stived 
up,  and  cattle  round,  might  breed  the  garrison- 
fever?  and  she  told  my  father  that  would  be  as  had 
as  the  Indians." 

No  one  of  the  children  had  ever  known  one  of 
their  number  to  die  of  disease.  All  their  knowl- 
edge respecting  the  matter  was  obtained  from  their 
parents  ;  and  nothing  could  more  strikingly  illus- 
trate the  perilous  life  the  settlers  led  than  the  fact 
that  Archie  Crawford  considered  death  by  the  rifle, 
tomahawk,  or  some  violence,  the  natural  end  of 
mankind.  He  had  never  been  out  of  the  Run ; 
there  was  not  an  old  person  there,  and  he  had  not 
the  least  conception  of  death  by  decay  of  nature. 

Just  below  the  scene  of  their  mishap,  the  stream 
was  so  crooked  that  it  resembled  very  much  a  bean- 
vine  encircling  a  pole.  Here  they  found  the  great- 
er portion  of  the  bladders,  which  they  valued 
somewhat. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  129 


CHAPTER  XI. 

THE   RAFT. 

THE   children   prevailed    upon    Mr.   Seth    to 
make  the  raft,  with  much  less  difficulty  than 
they  had  anticipated,  and  likewise   obtained   the 
aid  of  Harry,  Alex,  and  Enoch. 

Mr.  Seth  stipulated,  however,  that  but  one  of 
them  should  go  pigeon-shooting  at  a  time,  thus 
leaving  two  to  guard  him.  The  boys  also  took 
their  guns,  and  thus  he  was  protected  by  ten  or 
twelve  rifles. 

"  Well,  Uncle  Seth,"  said  Harry,  "  I'll  take  my 
broad-axe  along ;  for,  if  I  am  to  stay  by  you,  I 
might  as  well  help." 

They  found  many  cedars  that  had  been  killed 
by  forest  fires,  and  dry  on  the  stump.  Some  of 
them  had  large  hollow  butts.  They  plugged  up 
these  ends,  thus  making  air-chambers  that  ren- 
dered the  logs  very  buoyant :  therefore  there  was 


130  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

not  the  least  need  of  bladders,  though  the  boys 
insisted  on  having  a  number  enclosed  in  the  logs. 
These  logs  were  hewed  on  the  top  and  flattened 
on  two  sides,  brought  close  together,  and  then 
confined  by  cross-ties  at  each  end  and  in  the  mid- 
dle. These  cross-ties  were  treenailed  to  each  log, 
thus  making  it  impossible  for  any  log  to  work 
out,  or  the  raft  to  get  apart ;  and  the  water  could 
not  slop  up  between  the  logs,  they  were  so  closely 
jointed  and  bound  together.  Long  pins  were 
driven  at  the  four  corners,  by  which  to  fasten  the 
raft.  To  crown  the  whole,  they  made  proper 
setting-poles  and  an  oar  to  steer  with,  and  drove 
two  stout  pins  in  the  centre  of  each  end,  between 
which  the  oar  was  dropped  to  confine  it. 

Mr.  Seth,  who  now  entered  into  the  matter  with 
as  much  interest  as  the  children  themselves,  told 
Sam  and  Ike  to  go  and  tell  his  brother  Israel  to 
send  him  a  bark  rope  that  he  had  made  several 
months  before,  and  put  in  the  corn-crib.  lie  said 
he  would  give  them  the  rope  to  fasten  their  raft 
to  the  shore  with,  and  made  them  a  fisherman's 
wooden  anchor  to  hold  the  raft  when  they  went 
a  fishing. 

When  they  came  back  with  the  rope,  they  were 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  131 

accompanied  by  Mr.  Honeywood,  whom  they  had 
persuaded  to  come  and  see  what  Mr.  Seth  and 
Harry  were  doing  for  them. 

When  Mr.  Seth  had  finished  making  the  anchor, 
he  put  it  on  the  raft  with  the  rope,  and  said, 
"  There,  boys,  there  you  are :  that  raft  won't  drown 
you  if  you  only  keep  on  it." 

With  joyous  shouts,  the  boys  leaped  on  it, 
jumping,  capering,  and  yelling  like  wild  creatures, 
and,  seizing  the  poles,  pushed  off  into  the  stream. 
After  looking  at  them  a  few  minutes,  Mr.  Seth 
picked  up  his  tools,  and  went  home  ;  but  Mr. 
Honeywood  and  the  others  sought  game  in  the 
woods. 

When  they  came  back,  the  boys  had  been  some 
distance  down  the  stream,  and  returned,  and  were 
in  the  middle  of  the  river. 

"Shove  the  raft  in  here,  boys,"  said  Honeywood, 
"  and  I'll  show  you  something." 

They  did  so,  and  Honeywood  took  the  steering- 
oar,  put  it  between  the  pins,  and  began  to  scull 
the  raft  against  the  current  at  a  great  rate.  This 
was  something  new  to  the  boys:  they  were  might- 
ily pleased,  and  wanted  to  try  their  hands  at  it. 
Honeywood  instructed  them  in  a  short  time. 


132  TOUEST    GLEX;     OR, 

Sara,  Ike,  and  the  older  boys,  learned  the  motion, 
were  able  to  keep  the  oar  under  water,  and  move 
the  raft,  and  kept  at  it  till  it  was  time  to  go 
home. 

If  Mr.  Seth  before  he  made  the  raft  (to  quote 
an  expression  of  the  lamented  Tony)  "  was  the 
goodest  man  that  ever  was,"  his  goodness  now 
must  have  been  beyond  the  poAver  of  language  to 
express.  The  boys  lay  awake  half  the  night,  tell- 
ing each  other  of  all  his  goodness,  and  planning 
as  to  what  they  should  do,  now  they  had  got  the 
raft. 

The  next  forenoon  was  all  taken  up  in  learning 
to  scull,  there  were  so  many  of  them  to  practise  ; 
then  they  had  to  talk,  and  fool,  and  fuss  so  long 
about  it.  Every  few  minutes  the  oar  would  slip 
or  come  out  of  the  water  while  some  boy  was 
doing  his  "  level  best ;  "  and  he  would  fall  flat  on 
his  back,  receiving  a  poult  on  the  nose  from  the 
end  of  the  oar,  that  would  make  him  see  stars. 

Archie  Crawford  was  trying  his  hand,  when  Ike, 
who  was  looking  at  him,  exclaimed,  — 

"  Oh,  pshaw !  what  sculling  that  is !  let  me 
show  you  how  it's  done." 

Seizing  the  oar,  he  made  several  mighty  strokes ; 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  133 

the  raft  was  moving  lively,  when  one  of  the, pins 
broke,  and  away  went  Ike  into  the  river.  They 
now  anchored  the  raft  at  a  little  distance  from  the 
shore,  as  far  as  they  thought  they  could  swim,  and 
then,  diving,  made  for  the  shore.  The  diving, 
being  in  a  slanting  direction,  carried  them  a  good 
part  of  the  distance  to  the  bank.  After  practising 
in  this  manner  a  while,  they  moved  the  raft  a 
little  farther  from  the  bank ;  and,  thus  doing,  they 
learned  to  swim  faster  than  by  any  other  method. 

Those  who  could  not  swim  a  stroke  were  not 
afraid  to  dive  in  the  direction  of  the  shore,  when, 
as  they  came  up,  they  could  feel  the  bottom  with 
their  feet ;  and  in  this  way  they  became  sensible  of 
the  power  of  the  water  to  support  them,  and  that 
it  was  not  easy  to  reach  the  bottom  while  holding 
their  breath.  It  was  a  great  deal  better  method 
than  wading  in.  The  next  move  was  to  fish  from 
the  raft;  and  while  thus  engaged  they  amused 
themselves  in  a  manner  by  no  means  to  be  com- 
mended. It  must  be  considered,  however,  that 
they  were  frontier  boys,  and  their  training  had  not 
been  of  a  character  to  cultivate  the  finer  feelings 
and.  sympathies  of  humanity. 

We  remember  that  thev  had  resolved  never  ta 


134  FOREST   CLEX;    OR, 

take  a  scalp,  though  most  of  their  parents  believed 
and  taught  them  that  scalping  an  Indian  was  no 
more  harm  than  scalping  a  wolf. 

Bobby  Holt  proposed  fastening  two  of  the 
largest  fish  together  by  their  tails,  and  then  tying 
a  bladder  to  them,  which  was  no  sooner  proposed 
than  done.  The  fish  would  make  for  the  bottom, 
and  for  a  while  succeed  in  keeping  there ;  but, 
becoming  tired,  up  would  come  the  bladder,  and 
the  fish  after  it.  Again,  the  fish  would  swim  with 
great  velocity  along  the  surface  of  the  water  till 
exhausted,  then  turn  belly  up,  and  die.  Others 
would  swim  in  different  directions  till  they  wore 
one  another  out. 

Probably  the  words  of  Holdness,  McClure,  and 
Israel  Blanchard  did  not  produce  much  impres- 
sion upon  the  minds  of  the  children ;  but  those  of 
Honeywood  did,  who  told  them  they  were  as  bad 
as  the  Indians,  who  took  pleasure  in  torturing  their 
captives,  and  that  it  was  wrong  in  the  sight  of 
God,  who  did  not  give  mankind  authority  over 
the  animals  that  they  might  abuse  them.  He 
went  on  to  say,  that  cruelty  and  cowardice  were, 
near  of  kin  ;  and  that  many  a  man  would  run  at  the 
sound  of  the  war-whoop,  and  turn  pale  at  th"  sight 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  135 

of  an  Indian  alive,  tomahawk  in  hand,  who  would 
be  mean  enough  to  scalp  the  unresisting  dead,  or 
torture  a  helpless  fish.  The  reproof  of  Uncle 
Seth,  however,  cut  the  deepest,  who  said  that  if  he 
had  once  thought  they  would  do  as  they  had  done 
(as  he  had  heard  they  had  done,  for  he  could 
hardly  credit  the  story),  he  certainly  would  not 
have  made  the  raft.  He  made  it  for  them 
because  he  loved  them,  that  they  might  amuse 
themselves ;  but  how  could  he  love  boys  that  were 
so  cruel? 

Upon  this  Sam  Sumerford  got  up  in  his  lap,  and 
said  he  was  sorry,  and  would  never  torment  a  fish 
or  any  other  creature  again ;  so  they  all  said,  and 
would  not  be  satisfied  till  he  told  them  that  he 
truly  forgave  and  loved  them  as  aforetime. 

I  never  knew  a  boy  who  didn't  like  to  play  in 
water,  and  paddle  about  on  a  raft,  even  if  it  con- 
sisted of  only  two  or  three  boards  or  parts  of 
boards,  whose  floating  capacity  was  not  sufficient 
to  prevent  the  water  from  washing  into  his  shoes, 
with  a  mud-hole  for  a.  pond,  or  an  old  cellar  partly 
filled  with  rain-water. 

Therefore  it  may  well  be  doubted  whether  Mr. 
Seth  could  have  constructed  any  thing  out  of 


136  FOEEST   GLEN;    OR, 

which  those  boys  would  have  obtained  more  fun 
and  innocent  amusement  than  they  contrived  in 
various  ways  to  get  from  that  raft.  From  it 
the}'  could  dive ;  on  its  smooth  floor,  could  leave 
their  clothes  while  bathing,  bask  in  the  sun  to  dry 
off,  and  run  about  barefoot  without  getting  splin- 
ters in  their  feet ;  and  they  could  move  it  to  any 
spot  where  the  depth  of  water  and  quality  of  the 
bottom  suited  them. 

Borrowing  an  auger  and  gouge  from  Mr.  Seth, 
they  made  a  three-inch  hole  in  the  cross-tie  at 
one  end  of  the  raft,  and  another  in  the  middle  tie. 
Into  these  holes  they  put  two  large  hemlock 
bushes  as  large  as  they  could  possibly  handle,  and 
sailed  under  them  before  the  wind  at  a  great  rate. 

The  return  was  not  quite  so  romantic,  but  they 
contrived  to  extract  amusement  even  from  that. 

They  took  down  the  bushes,  kept  near  the 
shore,  and  the  trip  afforded  an  excellent  opportu- 
nity for  learning  to  scull. 

After  making  their  trial-trip,  they  invited  the 
girls  to  sail  with  them,  and  fish  from  the  raft. 
Satisfied  with  sailing,  they  began  to  fish ;  and 
rocks,  sheep's  heads,  catfish,  sunfish,  and  at  times 
a  trout,  were  flapping  on  the  raft. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FEIENDSHIP.  137 

In  order  that  what  follows  may  be  intelligible 
to  transient  readers,  it  is  necessary  to  inform 
them,  that,  some  months  before  the  period  under 
consideration,  Sam  Sumerford  and  Tony  Stewart 
captured  three  bear-cubs,  and  brought  them  home. 
One  of  them,  that  had  a  white  stripe  on  his  face, 
was  instantly  appropriated  by  Mrs.  Sumerford's 
baby,  and  went  by  the  name  of  baby's  bear.  The 
other  two  were  the  boys'  pets.  One  of  them  prov- 
ing vicious,  they  were  both  killed.  Baby's  bear, 
however,  was  as  mild  as  a  rabbit,  and  when  small 
used  to  lie  in  the  foot  of  baby's  cradle.  As  the 
bear  grew  larger,  the  child  would  lie  down  on  him 
and  go  to  sleep. 

There  were  seven  or  eight  large  wolf-dogs  be- 
longing to  different  neighbors,  savage  enough,  and 
prompt  at  any  moment  to  grapple  with  bear  or 
wolf ;  but  when  pups,  and  while  the  settlers  lived 
in  the  fort,  they  had  been  reared  with  the  cubs, 
and  always  ate  and  slept  with  them.  No  one  of 
the  dogs  ever  had  any  difference  with  baby's  bear, 
though  they  often  quarrelled  with  each  other. 
The  boys  were  very  fond  of  these  dogs,  and 
always  at  play  with  them. 

It  chanced  on  this  particular  day,  that  Tony's 


138  FOREST    GLEX;    OR, 

dog  (who,  since  the  loss  of  his  young-  master,  had 
been  very  lonely)  started  off  on  a  visit  to  Archie 
Crawford's  Lion,  and  the  twain  went  over  to 
make  a  friendly  call  on  Sam  Sumerford's  Watch. 

They  snuffed  round  a  while,  poked  their  noses 
into  every  place  where  they  imagined  their  friend 
and  his  master  might  be  ;  and,  not  finding  him, 
began  to  feel  lonesome  and  disappointed.  After 
a  while,  Lion  lighted  upon  Sammy's  track,  and  of 
some  of  the  other  boys  who  had  come  to  Mrs. 
Sumerford's  to  start  with  Sammy,  told  his  com- 
panion what  he  had  discovered,  and  proposed  that 
they  should  follow  the  trail. 

Off  went  the  two  dogs  with  noses  to  the  ground* 
and  tails  in  the  air,  and  soon  came  to  the  river; 
and,  sitting  down  upon  the  bank,  they  began  to 
bark  and  whine.  They  wTere  soon  joined  by  Sam's 
Watch,  who,  missing  his  master,  had  been  looking 
for  him  in  another  direction,  and,  hearing  the 
others  bark,  came  to  the  stream. 

"  Look,"  said  Archie,  "  there's  Sammy's  Watch, 
my  Lion,  and  Tony's  Rover,  all  sitting  on  the 
bank." 

When  the  dogs  started,  baby's  bear  was  half 
asleep  in  the  sun  on  the  door-stone,  and  hardly 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  189 

noticed  them  when  they  came  and  smelled  of  him. 
After  they  had  gone,  he  roused  up,  stared  round, 
and  shook  himself,  and,  feeling  lonesome  too, 
moved  along  after  them. 

Instead  of  sitting  down  as  the  dogs  had  done, 
when  he  reached  the  bank,  he  entered  the  water, 
and  swam  towards  the  raft. 

"Oh!"  shouted  Sammy,  "only  look  at  baby's 
bear  coming  to  see  us  fish:  isn't  he  good?  we'll 
have  him  on  the  raft  with  us." 

"  Yes,  and  the  dogs  are  coming  too :  won't  it 
be  nice  to  have  'em  all  ?  "  said  Maud. 

It  proved,  however,  not  to  be  so  very  nice,  after 
all.  The  raft  was  already  loaded  nearly  to  its 
capacity ;  and  when  the  bear  (which  weighed  three 
hundred  pounds  when  dry,  much  more  wet)  put 
his  fore-paws  on  the  raft  in  order  to  mount,  he- 
pressed  it  to  the  water's  edge.  The  girls  began  to 
scream,  and  the  boys  to  kick  the  bear,  and  pound 
him  on  the  head,  to  make  him  let  go.  And  now 
came  the  dogs :  the  bear  was  resolved  to  get  on 
the  raft,  and  the  dogs  too.  In  this  exigency  the 
boys  all  jumped  into  the  water,  holding  by  their 
hands  to  the  raft,  in  order  to  lighten  it,  upon 
which  the  dogs  relinquished  their  purpose,  and, 


140  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

kept  swimming  round  the  boys  ;  but  not  so  the 
bear,  who,  scrabbling  on  the  raft,  shook  himself, 
drenching  the  girls  with  spray  ;  and,  seating  him- 
self in  the  middle,  east  approving  glances  round 
him  from  his  wicked  little  eyes. 

It  was  found  that  the  raft  would  bear  part  of 
the  boys ;  and  Sam  and  Ike  Proctor,  getting  upon 
it,  pulled  up  the  anchors,  and  sculled  to  the  shore ; 
the  bear  meanwhile  regaling  himself  with  fish, 
thus  making  it  evident  why  he  was  so  anxious  to 
get  on  the  raft. 

There  was  no  harm  done :  the  girls,  to  be  sure, 
were  pretty  well  sprinkled,  but  it  was  no  great 
matter,  as  they  were  all  barefoot. 

After  reaching  the  shore,  the  girls  concluded  to 
go  on  the  mountain,  and  pick  berries  in  the  hot 
sun  till  their  clothes  were  dried. 

Mrs.  Armstrong  had  sent  word  for  the  boys  to 
catch  some  blood-suckers  (leeches)  to  apply  to  her 
husband's  wound  that  Avas  inflamed.  The  boys, 
therefore,  thought  best  to  get  them  while  the  girls 
were  berrying,  and  while  they  were  wet.  They 
all  went  to  a  frog-pond  near  by,  stripped  up  their 
trousers,  waded  into  the  water,  and,  when  the 
blood-suckers  came  to  fasten  on  their  legs,  caught 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  141 

them  in  their  hands,  and  put  them  into  a  pail  of 
water.  Some  of  the  boys,  who  wanted  a  new  sen- 
sation, would  permit  them  to  fasten  on  their  legs, 
and  suck  their  fill  till  they  became  gorged,  and 
dropped  off  of  their  own  accord.  Sam  Sumerford 
had  no  less  than  three  on  his  right  leg,  and  was 
sitting  on  a  log  with  his  legs  in  the  water,  patient- 
ly waiting  for  the  leeches  to  fill  themselves,  with 
his  head  on  his  hands,  half  asleep. 

Suddenly  he  leaped  from  the  log,  with  a  fearful 
yell,  and  ran  out  of  the  water,  dragging  a  snapping 
turtle  after  him,  as  big  over  as  a  half-bushel,  that 
had  fastened  to  his  right  foot.  They  all  ran  to  his 
aid. 

"He  won't  let  go  till  it  thunders,"  said  Dan 
Mugford  :  "  they  never  do." 

"  Cut  his  head  off,  then  :  cut  him  all  to  pieces," 
cried  the  sufferer. 

"  If  you  can  bear  it  a  little  while,  Sammy,"  said 
Jim  Grant,  "  till  we  pry  his  mouth  open  easy, 
we  can  keep  him,  and  have  him  to  play  with,  and 
set  the  dogs  on  him."' 

"  I  guess,  if  he  had  your  foot  in  his  mouth,  you 
wouldn't  want  to  bear  it,  Jim  Grant:  kill  him,  I 
tell  you,  quicker ! " 


142  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

Archie  held  the  turtle,  and  Ike  pulled  his  head 
out  of  his  shell,  and  cut  it  off.  Even  then  the 
jaws  were  set  so  hard  that  it  required  some  force 
to  open  them. 

The  injury  was  above  the  roots  of  the  great  and 
second  toes,  and  severe  enough  to  wound  the  flesh 
and  cause  blood  to  run  freely;  but  the  resolute 
boy  plastered  some  clay  on  it,  and  went  berrying 
with  the  rest. 

Before  starting  for  home  with  the  leeches,  they 
consulted  in  respect  to  the  manner  in  which  they 
should  amuse  themselves  the  next  day. 

This,  of  course,  implied  that  they  should  do 
something  with  the  raft. 

"  We've  sailed,  fished,  and  learned  to  scull ;  and 
now  we  want  to  do  something  we  never  did  do," 
said  Ike. 

"  Then  let's  sail  up  to  the  leaning  hemlock," 
said  Mugford,  "where  there's  plenty  of  fish;  and 
get  clay  and  flat  stones,  and  build  a  fire-place  on 
the  raft,  borrow  Mrs.  Honeywood'a  Dutch  oven, 
get  potatoes,  pork,  and  fixin's,  and  have  a  cook  on 
the  raft," 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  143 


CHAPTER  XII. 

A  DAY  OF  UNALLOYED  PLEASURE. 

THE  boys  flattered  themselves  that  they  had 
made  all  their  arrangements  for  a  good  time 
the  next  day ;  but  on  the  way  home  they  met  Mr. 
Seth,  who  said  that  he  and  Israel  were  going  to 
junk  and  pile  logs  on  a  burn  the  next  day,  and  he 
must  have  all  of  them  to  nigger  off  logs. 

"  We  can't  to-morrow,  Uncle  Seth,"  said  Sam- 
my ;  "  'cause  we're  going  to  make  a  fire-place  on 
the  raft,  and  have  a  cook,  and  have  the  Dutch 
oven,  and  have  Scip,  and  the  biggest  time  we  ever 
did  have." 

"  But  you  can't  have  Scip,  because  he'll  have  to 
chop  with  us ;  but  you  can  have  a  first-rate  time 
niggering  logs :  you  can  have  a  fire  in  a  stump, 
and  roast  potatoes  and  ears  of  corn." 

"  We  ought  to  help  Uncle  Seth,  'cause  he's  the 
goodest  man  ever  was,  'cause  he's  made  us  the 
raft,"  said  Sam. 


144  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

"So  we  will  help,  Uncle  Seth,"  said  Will 
Redmond ;  "  and  we'll  let  you  see  what  we  kin 
do." 

"  That's  good  boys  ;  and  we'll  have  a  long  noon- 
ing ;  and  I'll  tell  you  about  Mr.  Honeywood,  how, 
when  he  was  a  little  bit  of  a  boy,  he  went  to  sea 
on  a  tree,  and  was  picked  up  by  a  vessel." 

"What's  a  sea,  and  what's  a  vessel?"  said  Bob 
Holt. 

"  I'll  tell  you  all  about  it ;  and,  when  we  get  the 
piece  ready  to  sow,  I'll  ask  Israel  to  let  Scip  go 
with  you  on  the  raft.  But  you  mustn't  tell  him 
Indian  stories,  nor  say  any  thing  about  them  ;  for, 
if  you  do,  he  won't  be  good  for  any  thing  for  a 
fortnight." 

"  No,  Uncle  Seth,  we  won't"  and  we  won't  scare 
him  for  fun  as  we  used  to,"  said  Ben  Wood. 

These  frontier  boys  had  never  seen  a  vessel,  nor 
even  a  tug-boat :  all  the  craft  they  were  acquainted 
with  was  a  birch  canoe  or  a  dug-out;  and  they 
wondered  much  what  Uncle  Seth  meant  by  the 
sea  for  though  some  of  them  had  read  some  pieces 
at  school,  in  which  references  were  made  to  vessels 
and  the  ocean,  yet  as  they  had  never  seen  a  map, 
and  could  only  read  by  spelling  many  of  the  words, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  145 

they  had  no  definite  conception  in  regard  to  the 
subject. 

The  next  morning  the  boys  took  their  guns  and 
provisions  with  them  to  the  field.  The  place  was 
not  far  from  the  fort ;  there  was  a  strong  party  on 
the  scout ;  and  the  boys  were  able  to  persuade  Mr. 
Seth  to  say,  that,  when  noon  came,  he  would  eat 
with  them  in  the  field. 

Mr.  Seth,  Israel,  and  Scipio  now  began  to  cut 
into  proper  lengths  the  large  logs  that  the  clearing- 
fire  had  spared,  and  the  boys  went  to  niggering. 
They  placed  a  large  stick  across  a  log,  put  brands 
and  dry  stuff  beside  it  on  the  log,  and  set  it  on  fire, 
in  order  to  burn  the  log  off,  until  they  had  twenty 
or  thirty  logs  on  fire  at  once,  which  kept  them 
running  from  one  to  the  other  tending  the  fires. 
In  this  way  they  rendered  good  service,  and  nig- 
gered  off  logs  faster  than  the  men  could  chop  them 
in  two ;  and  they  liked  the  work  right  well. 

Mr.  Seth  had  brought  bread  and  butter  and 
some  slices  of  bacon.  Scip  brought  a  jug  of  milk  ; 
and  the  boys  roasted  eggs  and  potatoes  in  the 
ashes,  and  ears  of  corn  before  the  fire  ;  and,  after 
dinner,  Mr.  Seth  told  them  what  happened  to  Mr. 
Honeywood ;  then  he  described  the  ocean,  and 


146  FOREST   GLEN  ;     OR, 

tried  to  give  them  some  idea  of  a  vessel  by  whit- 
tling out  a  miniature  one  with  his  knife. 

The  next  day  these  scorched  and  half-burned 
logs  and  brands  (over  which  the  fire  had  run, 
burning  up  all  the  limbs  and  tops)  were  to  be 
piled  up  and  entirely  consumed.  The  men  and 
boys  came  to  the  field,  dressed  in  tow  frocks  and 
trousers.  Maccoy  and  Grant  came  to  help  with 
oxen  ;  and  the  logs  were  drawn  together,  and  rolled 
up  in  piles,  and  all  the  large  brands  picked  up 
and  flung  on  top  or  tucked  under  the  piles,  which 
occupied  the  whole  day. 

The  next  morning  they  set  all  the  piles  on  fire, 
and  tended  them,  in  order  to  make  a  clean  burn, 
throwing  in  the  brands  and  branches.  They  were, 
every  one  of  them,  just  as  black  as  a  smut-coal ; 
and  at  night  they  went  to  the  river,  washed  both 
their  persons  and  clothes,  and  put  on  clean  gar- 
ments. 

The  lads  now  entered  with  new  enthusiasm 
upon  preparation  for  their  postponed  expedition 
on  the  river. 

It  is  the  nature  of  a  well-constructed  boy  to 
receive  peculiar  delight  from  any  thing  of  his  own 
contrivance.  The  rudest  plaything  of  his  own 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  147 

invention  or  manufacture  is  dearer  to  him  than 
a  much  better  one  that  is  the  workmanship  of 
another. 

Boys  who  are  possessed  of  any  pluck,  and  are 
worth  raising,  delight  in  the  development  of  their 
own  powers,  both  of  brain  and  muscle :  you  may 
observe  it  in  a  little  child  taking  its  first  steps,  and 
holding  the  father's  finger. 

The  little  thing  toddles  on  demurely  enough,  so 
long  as  led  ;  but  the  moment  it  leaves  the  father's 
finger,  and  strikes  out  boldly  for  the  safe  harbor 
of  its  mother's  lap,  its  eyes  are  dancing  in  its 
head,  hands  going  up  and  down  in  high  glee,  and, 
screaming  and  crowing  with  delight,  it  tumbles 
into  those  extended  arms  breathless  but  in  ecstasy. 

That  feeling  of  self-help,  so  dear  to  the  child,  is 
no  less  so  to  the  boy  or  to  the  man,  of  whom  the 
child  is  the  father.  Therefore,  though  the  boys 
were  under  great  obligations  to  Mr.  Seth  for  put- 
ting the  raft  into  their  hands,  and  to  Mr.  Honey- 
wood  for  teaching  them  to  manage  it,  and  thus 
contributing  to  their  amusement,  they  were  under 
still  greater  obligations  to  them  for  opening  before 
them  such  a  field  for  contrivance,  furnishing  them 
with  resources,  and  placing  them  in  a  position  that 
stimulated  their  own  energies. 


148  FOREST   GLEX;    OTJ, 

They  commenced  operations  by  boring  two  holes 
with  an  auger  into  the  cross-tic  at  the  centre  of  the 
raft,  into  which  they  drove  two  crotches  some  five 
feet  in  length.  Clay  from  the  frog-pond,  and  sand 
from  the  river,  were  mixed  together  and  well 
worked,  and  wooden  trowels  made  to  handle  it 
with.  Several  of  the  boys  made  use  of  the 
shoulder-blades  of  moose,  which  made  very  good 
substitutes  for  steel  trowels.  The  shell  of  the 
snapping  turtle,  and  pieces  of  pine  and  hemlock 
bark,  were  used  to  carry  the  mortar  on.  Plaster- 
ing the  floor  of  the  raft  with  this  mortar  to  the 
depth  of  a  foot,  they  bedded  flat  stones  in  it  to 
form  a  hearth,  then  built  up  a  fireplace  with  three 
sides  but  open  in  front,  plastering  the  stones  with 
clay  both  inside  and  out. 

A  stout  green  stick  was  laid  in  the  crotches,  and 
a  withe  fastened  to  it  to  hold  the  Dutch  oven. 
Leaving  their  work  to  dry  in  the  hot  sun,  they  cut 
dry  hard  wood  in  short  pieces,  and,  going  to  the 
burn,  brought  from  thence  in  a  basket  some  hard- 
wood coals  and  brands  to  cook  with. 

The  object  of  cutting  the  wood  fine,  and  pro- 
curing the  charcoal,  was  that  they  might  have  a 
hot  fire  without  much  blaze  that  would  be  likely 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  149 

to  burn  their  crotch  pole  and  withe,  which  as  a 
further  safeguard  they  smeared  with  clay. 

It  is  evident  that  all  this  implies  forethought, 
calculation,  and  practice. 

"  Don't  let  us  go  home  for  bowls,  plates,  or 
spoons,"  said  Johnnie  Armstrong :  "  we  can  make 
'em  ourselves." 

"I  and  Jim  Grant,  Dan  Mugford,  and  Johnnie 
Armstrong  can  make  the  spoons  and  plates,"  said 
Fred  Stiefel. 

"We  can  make  square  trenchers  good  enough 
out  of  a  chip,"  said  Archie  ;  "  but  we  can't  bowls.: 
'twould  take  all  summer." 

"  I  know  a  better  way  than  that,"  said  Sam. 
"  We  don't  want  but  one  or  two  bowls,  one  big 
one  to  hold  the  stew ;  and  we  can  make  bowls  and 
plates  out  of  clay." 

"That'll  be  the  best  fun  that  ever  was,"  said 
Archie.  "I'd  sooner  make  the  dishes  than  eat 
the  vittles." 

"  I  wouldn't :  I'd  rather  do  both." 

Part  of  them  with  axes  split  blocks  of  proper 
wood  to  make  the  spoons,  and  shaped  them  rudely 
with  tomahawks,  while  others  prepared  clay  for 
the  bowls.  They  had  been  accustomed  to  make 


150  FOREST   GLEN;    OK, 

marbles  of  clay,  and  bake  them  on  the  hearth, 
though  it  must  be  confessed  they  frequently  split 
into  halves  in  baking ;  they  had  also  made  moulds 
of  clay  in  which  to  run  bullets,  and  had  helped 
make  clay  mortar  to  plaster  the  chimneys.  They 
treated  this  clay  in  the  same  manner,  mixing  sand 
with  it.  Thus  they  were  occupied  till  the  horn 
blew  for  dinner,  at  which  time  Archie  obtained  a 
crooked  knife  made  to  dig  out  bowls,  spoons,  and 
trays,  having  a  rest  for  the  thumb. 

During  meal-time  the  boys  were  much  ques- 
tioned by  the  girls ;  but  they  preserved  a  dignified 
silence,  looking  unutterable  things,  and  saying,  as 
they  left  home,  that,  if  the  girls  presumed  to  come 
peeking  and  prying  round,  they  shouldn't  go  with 
them,  not  one  inch. 

Fred  Stiefel  was  master  workman  of  the  spoon 
business ;  and  while  his  gang  were  seated  in  the 
shade,  manufacturing  those  utensils,  Sam  and  his 
fellow-potters  began  the  making  of  earthen-ware. 

They  adopted  a  singular  method,  originating  in 
the  inventive  brain  of  Sammy.  Selecting  a  level 
spot  in  the  dry,  tough  clay  ground,  they  removed 
the  turf,  picked  out  the  grass-roots,  smoothed  the 
surface,  and  swept  off  the  dust.  Upon  this  surface 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  151 

they  laid  some  of  the  square  wooden  plates  or 
trenchers  used  by  the  settlers,  and  cut  into  the 
clay,  then  hollowed  the  centre  with  a  crooked 
drawing-knife  made  to  hollow  the  staves  of  tubs 
and  pails.  This  was  the  mould,  and  they  made 
numbers  of  them.  Moulds  for  bowls  were  made 
in  the  same  way ;  and,  when  the  draw-shave  did 
not  accomplish  the  purpose,  they  worked  out  the 
bottom  of  the  moulds,  and  smoothed  them  up  with 
the  bowl  of  a  horn  spoon,  the  handle  of  which 
had  been  broken  off. 

Into  these  moulds  they  put  the  clay,  plastering 
it  on  the  sides  and  bottom  to  a  proper  thickness, 
and,  removing  all  superfluous  clay  with  wooden 
scrapers  and  the  spoon-bowl,  pressed  and  smoothed 
it  with  their  fingers  and  a  bunch  of  wet  moss,  that 
left  the  surface  smooth  and  shining. 

They  became  more  and  more  interested  in  their 
work,  and  endeavored  to  excel  each  other  in  the 
shape  and  ornamentation  of  their  vessels,  for  they 
eveji  aspired  to  that.  The  square  trenchers  with 
their  large  margin  afforded  ample  space  for 
designs. 

Archie  made  a  row  of  sharp  points  round  the 
edge  of  his  plate,  and  between  each  two  a  round 


152  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

dot  by  pressing  a  buckshot  into  the  clay ;  and  also 
i- ut  his  name  on  the  bottom. 

Jke  Proctor  made  a  vine;  and  outside  of  that  he 
made  quite  a  pretty  figure  by  pressing  beechnuts 
and  the  upper  surface  of  acorn-cups  into  the  clay. 

Sammy  Sumerford  excelled  all  the  others.  In 
the  first  place,  he  traced  a  vine  round  the  outer 
edge,  and  did  it  quite  well ;  having  found  in  the 
house  the  wheel  or  rowel  of  a  spur  he  printed  it 
in  the  clay  inside  the  vine ;  not  satisfied  with  this 
he  obtained  some  garnets,  and,  pressing  them  into 
the  clay,  left  them  there. 

"How  did  you  cut  that  vine  so  true,  Sam?" 
said  Bob  Holt,  who  was  admiring  the  work. 

"  I  laid  a  little  small  spruce-root,  not  so  large  as 
a  knitting-needle,  all  round  the  edge,  and  made  all 
the  turns  as  I  wanted  to  have  'em,  and  put  thorn 
spikes  to  keep  'em  from  moving  while  I  pressed  'em 
into  the  clay." 

It  was  was  now  time  to  drive  up  the  cattle  ; 
and,  dusting  their  work  with  sand,  they  covered  it 
with  boughs  to  keep  off  the  dew. 

The  next  morning  the  plates  and  bowls  were 
carefully  dug  out  of  the  moulds,  and  placed  in  the 
sun  to  dry  the  outside ;  then  they  were  put  in  the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIENDSHIP.  153 

fireplace,  the  top  of  which  was  covered  with  flat 
stones  and  clay  to  keep  in  the  heat ;  and  they  were 
burned  as  red  as  a  brick.  Some  of  them  fell  to 
pieces.  All  of  them  were  full  of  small  cracks ; 
but  they  would  hold  water  some  time,  though  it 
soaked  out  gradually. 

The  remainder  of  the  day  was  spent  in  killing 
and  plucking  pigeons,  and  making  preparations  for 
the  morrow. 

Early  next  morning  came  the  girls  and  Scip, 
bringing  with  them  whatever  other  articles  of  food 
or  seasoning  were  needed. 

The  girls  were  much  pleased  with  the  fireplace, 
and  especially  with  the  bowls,  spoons,  and  platters; 
and  the  boys  were  the  recipients  of  compliments 
that  put  them  in  excellent  humor. 

Shoving  off,  they  went  up  to  a  part  of  the 
stream  that  was  wider,  in  order  to  have  a  better 
opportunity  to  sail.  They  now  discovered,  that,  to 
all  his  other  accomplishments,  Scip  added  that  of 
an  excellent  oarsman.  He  was  a  Baltimore  negro, 
and  was  purchased  in  that  place  (as  most  of  our 
readers  know)  by  Israel  Blanchard,  on  his  way  to 
settle  at  Wolf  Run  ;  and  had  been  accustomed  to 
go  in  boats,  and  scull  rafts  of  lumber  on  the  Pa- 


154  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

tapsco  River.  He  disdained  the  .  use  of  pins  or  a 
notch  to  keep  his  oar  in  place,  but  would  scull 
right  on  the  side  of  the  raft  anywhere,  shoving  his 
oar  perpendicularly  into  the  water  and  keeping  it 
so,  which  afforded  him  a  greater  leverage  in  scull- 
ing against  the  stream. 

With  Scip  at  the  oars,  and  the  bo}rs  at  the  set- 
ting-poles, they  went  along  lively  when  returning 
from  a  trip  and  against  the  wind  and  current. 

When  tired  of  sailing,  they  fished;  and  then, 
bringing  the  raft  under  the  branches  of  a  leaning 
hemlock,  the  boys  went  on  shore  to  pick  berries 
for  a  dessert,  while  Scip  and  the  girls  were  getting 
dinner. 

The  fireplace  worked  to  a  charm,  and  the  dinner 
proved  to  be  all  that  could  be  desired.  They 
enjoyed  the  pleasure  of  eating  afloat,  something 
new  to  them,  and,  with  no  mishap  to  mar  the 
pleasure  of  the  day,  had  the  best  time  imaginable. 
They  also  had  berries  to  carry  home. 

On  arriving  home  that  night,  the  boys  were 
told  that  they  had  enjoyed  a  good  long  play-spell, 
and  that,  the  next  morning  they  must  go  sprouting. 

In  clearing  land  the  stumps  of  the  trees  send 
up  a  great  many  sprouts :  these  the  boys  were  set 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  155 

to  beat  off,  or  cut  with  hatchets,  in  order  to  kill 
the  stumps.  When  the  sprouts  become  dry  they 
are  piled  up  around  the  stumps,  and  burned,  which 
tends  still  more  to  kill  them ;  and  by  doing  this  a 
few  times  the  roots  are  exhausted. 

The  next  employment  was  to  cut  down  the  fire 
and  pigeon  weed  among  the  corn,  and  to  pull  the 
pease  and  beans.  Then  there  was  flax  to  pull ;  and, 
though  only  the  men  and  largest  boys  could  do 
that,  yet  any  of  them  could  carry  it  off  the  piece, 
and  spread  it  on  the  grass  to  rot  the  stalk,  and 
make  it  separate  from  the  outside  skin  or  fibre, 
which  is  the  part  used  to  make  thread. 

One  thing  coming  thus  after  another,  it  was  a 
long  time  before  they  were  given  another  holiday. 


156  FOKEST   GLEN  ;    OR, 


CHAPTER   XIII. 

CANNOT  GIVE  IT   UP. 

OCCURRENCES  very  trifling,  in  themselves 
considered,  often  lead  to  important  results. 
The  boyish  whim  of  making  a  fireplace  on  the 
raft,  and  constructing  dishes  from  clay,  developed 
a  capacity  in  Sammy  Sumerford  of  the  existence 
of  which  he  was  before  unconscious ;  and  wras  pro- 
ductive of  most  useful  results,  affecting  the  entire 
community  in  which  he  lived. 

The  other  boys,  when  they  had  succeeded  in 
making  and  burning  the  bowls,  satisfied  with 
accomplishing  their  present  purpose,  seemed  to 
have  exhausted  their  enthusiasm  in  that  direction. 
It  was  far  otherwise  with  Sammy.  At  night, 
morning,  and  even  sometimes  at  noon,  he  would 
steal  away  by  himself  to  the  clay -pit.  He  also 
held  a  good  many  private  conferences  with  Mr. 
Seth,  going  to  the  mill  for  that  purpose.  We  will 
take  the  liberty  to  repeat  one  of  them. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  157 

"  Mr.  Seth,  you  know  my  mother's  got  an 
earthen  milk-pan,  and  Mrs.  Holduess  has  got  two  : 
where  did  they  come  from  ?  " 

"  Baltimore." 

"•Who  made  'em?" 

"  A  potter  by  the  name  of  Bickford.  He  makes 
pans,  jugs,  bowls,  and  teapots,  out  of  clay." 

"  My  mother's  pan  don't  leak  a  drop,  not  when 
she  puts  hot  water  in  it ;  but  we  boys  made  some 
things  out  of  clay,  and  baked  'em  just  as  we  do 
our  marbles,  and  the  water  and  soup  we  put  in 
'em  soaked  through." 

"  It  didn't  soak  through  faster  than  you  could 
eat  it,  did  it  ?  " 

"  No,  sir ;  but  when  wa  let  it  set,  after  a  good 
while,  it  did.  What's  the  reason  milk  nor  nothing 
else  won't  go  through  mother's  pan  ?  " 

"  'Cause  it's  glazed,  and  probably  burned  harder 
than  yours.  Didn't  you  see  that  the  inside  was  of 
a  different  color  from  the  outside,  and  there  was 
something  smooth  and  shiny  all  over  it  ?  That's 
the  glazing,  that  makes  it  as  tight  as  though  it  was 
made  of  glass.  That's  a  secret  they  keep  to  them- 
selves ;  but  I  believe  they  burn  lead,  and  mix  other 
things  with  it,  put  it  on,  and  then  bake  it  in.  But 


158  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

the  potter's  ware  that  is  not  glazed  will  hold  water 
well  enough :  the  water  won't  drop,  and  it  takes  a 
long  time  to  soak  out ;  all  the  trouble  is,  whatever 
you  put  into  it  soaks  in,  and  you  can't  keep  it  so 
clean  as  though  it  was  glazed." 

"  Then  what  made  ours  leak  so  fast  ?  " 

"  Were  there  cracks  in  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  lots  of  'em." 

"  Did  you  put  sand  in  your  clay,  just  as  we  do 
when  we  make  mortar  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  What  else  did  you  do  to  it? " 

"  Worked  it  with  the  hoe,  just  as  we  do  mortar." 

"Was  that  all?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Well,  the  potters  don't  put  any  sand  in  their 
clay  as  a  general  thing,  and  never  but  a  very 
little  :  the  sand  made  it  leak.  You  didn't  make 
earthen:  you  made  brick.  And  they  take  great 
pains  to  work  their  clay.  I  think  it  is  very  likely 
there  were  sticks  and  grass-roots  in  yours,  and  it 
was  raw,  and  not  worked  enough ;  and  that  made 
it  crack  and  blow.  If  you  had  worked  it  as  much 
as  your  mother  does  her  dough,  not  put  in  any 
sand,  and  baked  it  harder,  it  would  have  done 
better." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FUIKXDSHIP.  159 

"  Uncle  Seth,  I  love  to  make  things  in  clay,  and 
I'm  going  to  try  to  make  a  bean-pot  for  my  mother- 
You  won't  tell  anybody,  Uncle  Seth.  Will 
you?" 

"  No,  indeed ,  and  I'm  real  glad  you  are  going 
to  try.  It's  a  great  deal  better  to  spend  your  time 
in  trying  to  make  something  useful  than  to  be 
fooling  or  doing  mischief." 

"  You  know  everybody  likes  Harry  'cause  he's 
brave,  kills  Indians  and  bears,  and  can  f oiler  a 
trail.  Ain't  I  brave  ?  " 

"  Yes,  you're  brave." 

"  Folks  like  Harry  'cause  he  can  do  so  much 
work,  —  make  tubs,  pails,  baskets,  and  drums.  You 
and  Mr.  Israel  like  to  have  him  with  you,  and  let 
him  have  your  tubs ,  and  mother,  she  says  he's  the 
best  boy  ever  a  mother  had,  may  the  Lord  blesa 
him  ! 

"  I  want  to  make  things  too ;  'cause  I  love  to,  and 
'cause  I  haven't  got  Tony  to  play  with  me  any 
more,  and  'cause  I  don't  want  everybody  to  say 
I'm  a  plague  above  ground,  and  a  real  vexation : 
that's  what  Mrs.  Mugford  said." 

"  That's  right,  my  lad :  if  you  do  that  you'll  be 
a  great  benefit,  and  everybody  will  love  you.  Ho\v 


100  FOKEST   GLEX;    OR, 

did  you  make  your  bowls  and  platters  the  other 
day  ?  AVhat  did  you  have  to  make  'em  by?" 

"  We  made  'em  in  the  ground/' 

'•  That's  the  last  way  I  should  have  thought  of," 
said  Uncle  Seth,  laughing.  "  How  did  you  get  'em 
out  ?  " 

"After  they  dried,  we  dug  the  ground  away 
with  our  scalping-knives,  till  we  could  pull  'em 
out." 

"  If  the  ground  hadn't  been  as  dry  as  an  ash- 
heap,  the}r  never  would  have  dried  in  the  ground 
so  that  you  could  have  taken  them  out ;  and,  if 
there  had  come  a  shower,  they'd  been  full  of 
water." 

"  What's  a  better  way  to  do?" 

"  Make  a  wooden  mould,  and  put  the  clay  on  it : 
then  the  inside  will  be  smooth,  and  just  the  shape 
of  the  mould,  and  you  can  make  the  outside  just 
as  you  like ;  and  when  you  put  it  in  the  fire  the 
wood  will  burn  out.  Or  you  can  do  as  the  In- 
dians do,  —  make  a  basket,  and  put  the  clay  on 
the  inside  of  the  basket;  and  the  basket  will 
burn  off." 

Sammy  went  away,  and  pondered  a  long  while 
upon  what  Mr.  Seth  had  told  him  ;  but  he  thought 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  161 

he  could  not  make  a  wooden  mould  very  well,  nor 
a  basket,  and  took  the  funniest  method  imagin- 
able ;  but  then,  you  know,  he  was  a  Sumerford,  and 
own  brother  to  Harry.  He  dug  his  clay,  made  it 
as  thin  as  porridge  with  water,  and  strained  it 
through  a  riddling-sieve. 

"  I  guess  there  ain't  any  sticks  or  grass-roots  in 
that,"  said  Sammy. 

After  the  clay  had  settled  to  the  bottom,  he 
turned  off  the  water,  and  worked  it  with  a  hoe, 
then  dragged  the  tub  into  the  woods  where  the 
boys  would  not  be  likely  to  see  it,  and  left  it, 
as  Uncle  Seth  had  said  it  ought  to  lie  a  while. 

After  the  work  referred  to  in  the  last  chapter 
was  done,  the  boys  were  given  a  day  to  go  fishing ; 
but,  to  their  great  surprise,  Sammy,  who  was  gener- 
ally the  leader  in  all  such  enterprises,  didn't  want 
to  go. 

The  boys  were  no  sooner  out  of  sight  than 
Sammy  ran  to  the  clay-pit,  dragged  the  tub  from 
the  bushes,  and  gave  the  clay  another  working. 
Then,  hunting  among  the  corn,  he  found  a  hard- 
shelled  pumpkin  which  suited  him  in  shape.  The 
bottom  of  it  was  slightly  hollowing ;  but  Sammy 
cut  it  perfectly  square,  and  likewise  cut  a  piece 


1G2  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

from  the  stem  end,  in  order  that  both  the  top  and 
bottom  might  be  square. 

Sammy  knew  his  mother  would  want  a  big  pot; 
for  there  were  three  strapping  boys  to  eat  beans, 
and,  if  half  the  children  in  the  Run  happened  to 
be  at  Mrs.  Sumerford's  near  meal-time,  she  would 
have  them  stop  to  eat :  therefore  he  had  selected 
the  largest  pumpkin  of  the  right  shape  that  he 
could  find,  on  which  to  mould  his  pot. 

Over  this  pumpkin  he  plastered  the  clay,  and 
regulated  the  thickness  by  marking  the  depth  on  a 
little  pointed  stick  which  he  thrust  into  the  clay 
from  time  to  time.  Knowing  his  mother  would 
be  obliged  to  cover  the  top  of  the  pot  with  coals 
and  ashes,  it  must  of  course  have  a  cover,  lie 
turned  his  tub  bottom  up,  and,  using  the  bottom 
for  a  table,  rolled  out  a  strip  of  clay,  and  placed  it 
round  the  edge  of  the  pot  on  the  inside,  for  the 
cover  to  rest  on  ;  then,  cutting  out  a  piece  of  birch- 
bark  to  fit  the  top  of  the  pot,  moulded  his  cover 
by  that,  punching  up  the  clay  in  the  middle  for  a 
handle  to  take  it  off  by,  for  lie  did  not  know  that 
handles  could  be  made  and  stuck  on  to  clay 
vessels  when  they  are  half  dry. 

All   this   accomplished,   Sammy  was   quite   de- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  163 

lighted,  clapped  his  hands,  and  danced  round  his 
work,  exclaiming,  — 

"  I  never  did  feel  so  good  in  all  my  life.  What'll 
my  mother  say  ?  I  guess  Harry '11  think  something. 
Oh,  if  Tony  was  only  here  to  make  one  for  his 
mother ! " 

He  was  now  seized  with  a  strong  desire  to  orna- 
ment his  work,  which  was  quite  rough,  and  covered 
with  finger-marks.  The  first  thing  needed  was  a 
smooth  surface  on  which  to  make  figures.  He 
sharpened  a  stake  at  both  ends,  drove  one  end  into 
the  ground,  and  stuck  the  pot  on  the  other,  running 
the  stake  into  the  pumpkin  to  hold  it. 

He  then  moistened  the  clay,  smoothed  it  with 
wet  moss  arid  a  flat  stick,  and  afterwards  with  a 
piece  of  wet  bladder,  till  it  was  perfectly  smooth 
and  level ;  and  sat  down  to  consider  in  what  way 
he  should  ornament  the  surface.  Several  methods 
suggested  themselves,  none  of  which  were  satisfac- 
tory, At  length  an  idea  entered  his  mind,  that  he 
hastened  to  carry  out  in  practice. 

Rolling  out  a  piece  of  clay  on  the  bottom  of 
the  tub  till  it  Avas  a  foot  square  or  more,  he  took 
a  beech-leaf,  and,  placing  it  on  the  clay,  pressed  it 
carefully  into  the  surface ;  then  taking  it  up  by 


164  FOREST    GLENT;    OR, 

the  stem,  he  found  the  full  impress  of  it  left  on  the 
clay.  Delighted  with  this,  he  gathered  the  top 
shoots  of  cedar,  and  beech-leaves  of  various  kinds, 
and  ferns,  and  took  impressions  from  all  of  them, 
till  lie  had  quite  a  gallery  at  his  command.  The 
large-ribbed,  deeply-indented  leaves  gave  the  best 
impression  ;  while  the  ferns,  though  very  beautiful, 
afforded  an  indistinct  outline,  and  the  cedar  the 
most  marked,  the  leaf  being  thick,  and  going  deeper 
into  the  surface. 

After  long  deliberation,  he  settled  down  upon 
the  beech,  cedar,  fern,  and  locust,  choosing  the 
extremities  of  the  smallest  branches,  which  he 
pressed  carefully  into  the  surface  of  his  pot,  and 
left  them  there  to  be  burned  out  when  the  pot 
was  baked. 

Sammy  now  took  a  thin  flat  stone,  sprinkled  it 
with  sand,  turned  the  pot  on  it,  and  set  it  in  a 
hollow  tree ;  intending  as  soon  as  the  clay  had 
hardened  sufficiently,  and  the  pumpkin  had  become 
tender  by  decay,  to  dig  out  the  meat,  leaving  the 
shell  to  be  burned  out. 

He  then  flatted  out  a  large  piece  of  clay,  and 
began  to  search  round  after  other  leaves  and 
objects  of  which  to  take  impressions.  So  absorbed 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIENDSHIP.  165 

did  he  become,  that  he  forgot  his  dinner,  taking 
no  note  of  passing  time,  and  meditated  new 
devices  till  he  was  roused  by  hearing  the  voices  of 
the  boys  coming  from  fishing ;  and,  instantly  put- 
ting away  his  implements,  ran  home. 

He  didn't  want  the  bo}rs  to  know  what  he  was 
doing,  for  fear  they  would  tell  his  mother ;  and  he 
wanted  to  surprise  her. 

Before  reaching  the  house,  he  met  his  mother 
coming  after  him. 

"  Why,  Sammy  Sumerford,  where  have  you  been 
this  livelong  day  ?  " 

"  Down  to  the  river." 

"  Down  to  the  river,  indeed !  Didn't  you  hear 
me  blow  the  horn?  I  was  afraid  the  Indians  had 
got  you.  What  could  you  find  to  do  there  with- 
out any  dinner,  and  all  alone  ?  " 

"  I've  had  a  good  time,  ma'am." 

"  Well,  if  you  have,  I'm  glad  of  it ;  but  it  must 
have  been  a  very  different  good  time  from  any 
you  ever  had  before  :  for  never  since  you  came 
into  the  world  could  you  have  any  sort  of  a  good 
time  without  half  a  dozen  boys  round  you ;  and,  if 
there  were  as  many  girls,  so  much  the  better." 

The  moment  he  had  swallowed  his  supper,  he 


1G6  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

ran  off  to  report  to  Mr.  Seth ;  who  had  a  good 
laugh  when  Sammy  told  him  he  had  moulded  on 
a  pumpkin,  arid  reckoned  he  could  not  dig  out  till 
it  was  thoroughly  rotten,  without  breaking  the 
pot. 

He  was,  however,  singularly  favored  in  this 
respect :  not  being  able  to  visit  the  place  for  two 
days  without  the  notice  of  the  other  boys,  when  he 
did  go  he  found  the  pumpkin  entirely  covered  with 
ants,  who  had  devoured  nearly  the  whole  of  it. 

"  Good  on  your  heads !  "  said  he.  "  You  can  dig 
it  easier  and  better  than  I  can,  and  won't  break 
the  pot  neither." 

The  interior  of  the  old  tree  was  damp ;  and  when 
the  ants  had  devoured  all  of  the  meat,  leaving 
only  the  shell  of  the  pumpkin,  Sam,  watching  his 
opportunity,  removed  the  pot  to  the  garret  of  the 
house,  where  it  might  dry  thoroughly. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  167 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

THE  BEAN-POT. 

MR.  SETH  had  told  Sammy  that  one  reason 
his  bowls  and  platters  cracked  was  be- 
cause they  were  baked  too  quick:  that  to  bake 
a  potter's  kiln  required  forty-eight  hours;  that 
the  baking  must  commence  gradually,  and  be  dis- 
continued in  the  same  way.  Another  reason  was, 
that  they  were  of  unequal  thickness ;  and  the  thin 
places  shrunk  before  the  thicker  ones,  and  pulled 
them  apart. 

One  morning,  while  the  pot  was  drying,  Sam 
came  into  the  house,  and  heard  his  mother  up 
garret.  He  thought  she  was  making  his  bed,  but, 
listening  a  moment,  found  she  was  rummaging 
round.  Alarmed,  he  said,  — 

"  Mother,  what  are  you  doing  up  there  ?  " 
"  Doing  ?      I'm     hunting    after    a    '  sley '   that 
belongs  to  the  loom." 


168  FOREST  GLEN  ;    OR, 

"  Come  down,  marm,  and  I'll  come  and  find  it." 

"  You  find  any  thing  ?  umph  !  You  can't  keep 
the  run  of  your  own  clothes.  I  have  to  find  your 
hat  for  you  half  the  time.  I  expect  now  I'll  have 
to  move  half  the  old  trumpery  in  this  garret." 

Grown  desperate,  Sammy  flung  a  mug  of  cold 
water  in  the  face  of  the  baby,  who  was  sitting  on 
the  floor.  The  child  set  up  a  terrible  screeching. 

"  Sam,  what  does  ail  that  child  ?  " 

"I  don't  know,  marm.  Guess  he's  going  to 
have  a  fit.  He's  holding  his  breath." 

Mrs.  Sumerford  was  down  the  ladder  in  an 
instant,  and  catching  up  the  child,  who  was  purple 
in  the  face  from  temper  and  strangulation,  thumped 
him  on  the  back,  exclaiming,  — 

"  Poor  blessed  baby !  was  he  frightened  'cause 
his  mother  left  him?  Well,  mother  won't;"  and 
the  next  moment,  "  Why,  this  child's  all  wet ! 
Sam  Sumerford,  what  have  you  been  doing?  Have 
you  been  throwing  water  on  this  baby  ?  " 

Sam,  who  was  in  the  chamber,  and  had  hid  the 
pot  in  his  bed,  to  change  the  subject  replied,  — 

"  Yes,  marm,  I  —  I'm  trying  to  find  it." 

"  Well,  you  look  for  it.  I  must  go  to  the  barn, 
and  get  some  eggs  for  Harry's  breakfast." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  169 

Harry  had  stood  watch  in  the  night  at  the  fort, 
and  was  in  bed. 

Taking  the  child  with  her,  Mrs.  Sumerford  left 
the  house,  when  Sammy  went  and  hid  the  pot  in 
the  pasture,  in  a  hollow  fence-log  on  high  ground, 
and  where  a  current  of  air  circulated  through  that 
kept  it  dry. 

Sammy  thought  it  would  be  a  fine  thing  to  have 
his  mother's  name  on  the  pot,  or  at  least  the 
words  "For  mother,"  and  knew  that,  though  it 
was  dry,  he  could  cut  them  in.  He  persuaded  Mr. 
Seth  to  cut  the  inscription  on  a  piece  of  bark 
taken  from  a  young  pine ;  and  then,  pasting  the 
bark  with  flour  paste  to  the  surface  to  keep  it  from 
moving,  he  cut  out  the  letters  by  the  pattern, 
moistening  the  clay  a  little,  that  it  might  not 
crumble  at  the  edge.  The  bark  was  quite  thick, 
which  served  better  for  guiding  the  point  of  the 
tool  with  which  he  worked. 

New  difficulties  now  arose  in  respect  to  the 
baking.  Uncle  Seth  had  told  Sammy  it  took  forty- 
eight  hours  to  bake  a  kiln  of  potter's  ware,  but, 
where  the  fire  was  all  directed  to  one  pot,  that 
perhaps  one  day  and  one  night  would  be  sufficient. 

Sammy  perceived   at  once   that  he   could   not 


17r'  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

hope  to  do  this  without  the  knowledge  of  his 
companions;  and.  making  a  virtue  of  necessity, 
took  them  to  the  pasture,  showed  them  the  pot, 
and  told  them  all  his  heart. 

They  instantly  entered  into  his  plans,  promised 
to  keep  the  secret,  and  do  all  they  could  to  help 
him.  and  instantly  set  about  preparations. 

**  Where  can  we  bake  it  ? "'  said  Sammy.  *•  We 
can't  do  it  on  the  raft ;  'cause  we've  got  to  keep  a 
fire  all  night,  and  our  folks  won't  let  us  be  down 
to  the  river  all  night  nor  one  minute  after  sun- 
down." 

"Bake  it  down  to  Cuthbert's  house,  in  the  big 
fireplace.  Make  a  kiln  right  in  that,"  said  Mug- 
ford. 

••  They  wouldn't  let  us  stay  there  all  night." 

"What  matter  will  it  be."  said  Archie,  "if  we 
let  the  fire  be  at  night,  and  then  kindle  it  up  in 
the  morning?  S'pose  you  put  in  a  lot  of  hard 
wood  when  you  left  it :  'twould  be  all  hot  in  the 
morning ;  'twouldn't  get  cold ;  then  there  won't  be 
no  trouble." 

-  I  don't  know,"  said  Sammy.  '•  I'll  ask  Uncle 
Seth." 

Mr.  Seth.  being  appealed  to.  said  he  didn't  think 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  171 

it  would  make  any  difference  if  they  put  in  wood 
at  night,  kept  it  warm,  and  started  the  fire  in  the 
morning  slowly ;  that  the  reason  potters  and 
brick-makers  kept  their  kilns  burning  all  night 
was  to  save  time  and  wood ;  that  it  would  require 
a  great  deal  less  wood  to  keep  it  going  all  night, 
than  to  let  the  kiln  cool  off,  and  start  it  again. 

There  was  no  need  of  going  to  the  river  for  clay, 
as  there  was  a  pit  in  the  pasture  just  back  of  the 
Cuthbert  house,  from  which  the  settlers  had  dug 
clay  to  plaster  the  roofs  of  the  block-houses.  They 
therefore  beran  to  build  the  kiln  with  rocks  and 

o 

clay  right  before  Mrs.  Sumerford's  door,  part  of 
them  working  on  the  kiln,  and  the"  rest  making 
marbles  to  bake  in  it. 

Mr.  Seth  had  told  them  that  the  fire  must  not 
come  directly  to  the  pot :  so  they  built  a  square  of 
rocks  and  clay,  and  in  the  middle  made  a  place  in 
which  to  put  the  pot,  marbles,  and  several  bowls 
and  platters  that  the  boys  made  on  the  spot.  In 
this  little  apartment  they  left  openings  to  admit 
the  heat,  having  fire  on  all  sides  of  it :  then  they 
covered  the  top  with  two  flat  stones  about  four 
inches  apart,  and  left  below  two  holes  to  put  in 
wood,  and  plastered  the  whole  all  over  v. . 


172  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

They  then  covered  each  end  of  the  slit  on  top 
with  flat  stones  and  clay,  except  a  short  space  in 
the  middle  left  for  draught,  and  which  could  be 
closed  with  a  stone  laid  near  for  the  purpose. 

They  had  received  general  instructions  from 
Uncle  Seth,  and  were  carrying  them  out  in  their 
own  way  with  the  greatest  possible  enthusiasm. 
There  were  quite  a  number  of  articles  in  the 
receptacle  with  the  pot,  that  the  boys  made  and 
moulded  from  the  clay  with  which  the  kiln  was 
built ;  but  some  of  the  boys  had  brought  up  some 
of  the  clay  Sam  had  worked,  and  made  platters 
and  marbles. 

The  piece  of  land  on  which  they  had  recently 
been  burning  the  logs  was  full  of  the  ends  of 
limbs  and  half-burned  brands,  just  the  thing  to 
make  a  hot  fire  and  to  kindle  readily.  They 
gathered  many  of  these,  and  plenty  of  other  wood ; 
and,  their  preparations  being  all  made  at  night, 
they  kindled  the  fire  at  sunrise  next  day. 

They  made  a  regular  holiday  of  it,  roasting 
corn,  potatoes,  and  eggs  in  a  separate  fireplace  con- 
structed for  the  purpose ;  and  Scip  came  occasion- 
ally to  partake  of  their  cheer. 

They  borrowed  Mrs.  McClure's  big  skillet,  and 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  173 

Mrs.  Sumerford  made  bread  for  them :  this  was 
on  the  second  day,  when  the  fire  had  been  burning 
long  enough  to  make  plenty  of  ashes  and  coals. 
They  swept  the  hearth  of  their  fireplace  clean, 
put  the  dough  into  the  skillet,  turned  it  bottom  up 
on  the  hearth,  and  covered  the  skillet  with  hot 
coals.  With  the  coals  on  top  and  the  hot  hearth 
beneath,  it  baked  splendidly ;  and  they  had  their 
dinner  before  the  kiln. 

Harry  shot  two  wild  turkeys,  and  gave  them 
one ;  and  they  baked  it,  and  had  a  great  feast,  and 
kept  the  fire  up  three  days ;  and  when  on  the  fore- 
noon of  the  fourth  day  they  opened  it,  the  pot 
came  out  without  a,  crack,  and  baked  to  a  bright 
red. 

The  little  stems  of  the  cedar  and  beech  were 
baked  to  a  coal ;  and  Sammy  picked  them  out, 
leaving  the  impression  sharp  and  clear. 

lie  then  mixed  up  some  lamp-black  that  Solo- 
mon Lombard,  the  Indian  trader,  had  given  him, 
and  filled  the  letters  that  composed  the  motto, 
which  brought  them  out  finely  in  contrast  with 
the  red  ground  on  which  they  were  «cut.  The 
other  articles  fared  quite  otherwise :  many  of  the 
marbles  split  in  halves,  some  cracked,  others 


174  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

blistered  or  fell  to  pieces;  but  a  few  came  out 
whole  and  fair. 

It  was  found,  however,  that  the  marbles  and 
dishes  made  of  clay  brought  from  the  river  were 
the  ones  that  stood  the  baking  and  were  bright 
red,  while  the  others  were  lighter-colored.  ^\Ir. 
Seth  said  they  stood  the  fire  because  the  clay  had 
been  worked  more,  and  that  the  deeper  color  was 
due  to  the  greater  quantity  of  iron  in  the  river 
clay. 

Sammy  had  taken  his  pot  to  the  pasture  among 
the  bushes,  to  fill  the  letters  Avith  black,  and  was 
joined  by  the  other  boys  as  soon  as  they  had 
cleared  the  kiln. 

Their  conversation,  as  was  often  the  case,  turned 
upon  the  virtues  of  Uncle  Seth,  without  whose 
advice  it  was  allowed  Sammy  would  never  have 
succeeded  in  making  his  pot. 

"What  a  pity,"  said  Dan,  "such  a  good  man 
should  be  a  coward !  " 

"  He  isn't  a  coward,"  said  Sammy. 

"Yes,  he  is.  Didn't  he  shut  himself  up  in  the 
mill  when  the  Indians  attacked  the  fort,  scared 
to  death  ?  and  didn't  his  own  brother  Israel  say  it 
was  the  first  time  he  ever  knew  a  fort  saved  by  a 
coward  ?  " 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  175 

"  What  is  a  brave  man,  what  ain't  a  coward  ?  " 
"  Why,  a  man  what  ain't  scared  of  any  thing." 
"  Then  there  ain't  any  brave  men,  and  every 
man   in   the    Run   is   a   coward;   for   there   ain't 
one  of  'em  but's  afraid  of  something,  —  afraid  to 
go  into  the  house  where  McDonald  and  his  folks 
were  killed.     Mr.  Holdness  nor  McClure  wouldn't 
go  in  there  in  the  night,  sooner'n  they'd  jump  into 
the  fire :  don't  you  call  them  brave  men  ?  " 
"  Yes." 

"  Uncle  Seth  isn't  afraid  to  walk  up  on  a  tree 
that's  lodged,  and  cut  it  off,  and  then  come  down 
with  it,  or  jump  off.  He  isn't  afraid  to  go  under  a 
tree  that's  lodged,  and  cut  the  tree  it's  lodged  on  ; 
he'll  ride  the  ugliest  horse  that  ever  was ;  walk 
across  the  water  on  a  log  when  it's  all  white  with 
froth  ;  and  when  there  was  a  great  jam  of  drift 
stuff  stopped  the  river,  and  was  going  to  overflow 
the  cornfield,  he  went  on  to  the  place,  and  cut  a 
log  what  held  it,  arid  broke  the  jam  ;  and  there 
wasn't  another  man  in  the  Run  dared  do  it.  He 
said  he'd  lose  his  life  afore  the  water  should 
destroy  the  corn." 

While  Sammy  was  defending  Uncle  Seth  from 
the  charge  of  cowardice,  his  face  reddened,  his 


176  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

eyes  flashed  fire,  his  fists  were  clinched,  and  he 
threw  his  whole  soul  into  the  argument,  and  car- 
ried his  audience  with  him. 

They  resolved  on  the  spot  that  Uncle  Seth  was 
not  a  coward,  though  he  was  afraid  of  Indians. 
They  could  not  endure  the  thought  that  an  impu- 
tation so  disgraceful  in  their  eyes  as  that  of  a 
coward  should  rest  upon  the  character  of  a  man 
whom  they  so  dearly  loved. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  177 


CHAPTER   XV. 

THE   SURPRISE. 

IT  is  perhaps  needless  to  inform  our  readers  that 
Sammy  did  not  find  the  "  sley  "  on  that  event- 
ful day  when  he  threw  the  water  in  the  baby's 
face ;  but  his  mother  got  the  baby  to  sleep,  and 
found  it.  On  the  morning  of  the  third  day,  she 
had  just  entered  the  door  of  the  kitchen  with  a 
pail  of  water  in  her  hand,  when  she  encountered 
Sammy  (followed  by  Louisa  Holt,  Maud  Stewart, 
Jane  Proctor,  and  a  crowd  of  boys)  with  the 
bean-pot  in  his  hand,  which  he  placed  upon  the 
table  with  an  air  of  great  satisfaction. 

It  was  some  time  before  the  good  woman  could 
be  brought  to  believe  that  Sam  made  it.  She 
knew  that  of  late  he  had  been  much  at  the  mill 
with  Mr.  Seth,  and  supposed  he  must  have  made 
and  given  it  to  him ;  but,  when  she  became  con- 


178  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

vinced  of  the  fact,  the  happy  mother  clasped  him 
in  her  arms,  exclaiming,  — 

"Who  says  Sammy's  lit  for  nothing  but  mis- 
chief? Who  is  it  says  that?  Let  him  look  at 
that  pot,  as  nice  a  one  as  ever  a  woman  baked 
beans  in,  and  a  cover  too.  Harry  has  made  pails, 
tubs,  a  churn,  and  a  good  many  other  things ;  but 
he  never  made  an  earthen  pot,  nor  any  man  in 
this  place.  My  sakes !  to  think  we've  got  a  potter 
among  us !  what  a  blessing  he  will  be !  There's 
not  another  woman  in  the  settlement  has  got  a 
bean-pot." 

"  Mrs.  Sumerford,  only  see  the  printing  and  the 
pictures  on  it,"  said  Maud  Stewart. 

"  Pictures  and  printing !  I  must  get  my 
glasses." 

After  putting  on  her  spectacles,  the  happy 
mother  expressed  her  astonishment  in  no  meas- 
ured terms. 

"  '  For  Mother  : '  he's  his  mother's  own  blessed 
baby.  But  did  you  truly  make  the  letters,  and 
the  leaves  on  there,  your  own  self?" 

"Yes,  mother:  I  did  it  alone  in  the  woods; 
only  Mr.  Seth  made  the  letters  on  some  bark  for 
me,  but  I  put  'em  on  the  pot." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  179 

"  Now  I'll  bake  a  mess  of  beans  in  it,  just  to 
christen  it.  Girls,  you  help  me  pick  over  the 
beans ;  and  I'll  put  'em  on  to  parboil  afore  we  sit 
down  to  dinner,  and  have  'em  for  supper.  I  want 
you  all  to  stay  to  dinner  and  supper  both.  The 
boys  can  play  with  Sammy ;  and  the  girls  and  I'll 
make  some  buttermilk  biscuit  for  supper,  and  a 
custard  pudding. 

"  Girls,  I'm  going  to  draw  a  web  of  linen  into 
the  loom ;  and  you  can  help  me,  and  learn  how ; 
play  with  the  baby  and  the  bear:  baby's  bear'll 
play  real  good ;  he's  a  good  creature.  He'll  tear 
all  the  bark  off  the  tree  with  his  claws ;  but,  when 
he's  playing  with  baby,  he'll  pull  'em  all  into  the 
fur,  so  his  paw  is  soft  as  can  be.  Harry,  Elick,  and 
Enoch'll  be  home  from  the  scout ;  and  what  think 
they'll  say  when  they  come  to  know  that  Sammy's 
made  a  pot,  and  his  mother's  baked  beans  in  it  ?  " 

"  Mother,  may  I  ask  Uncle  Seth  to  come  to  sup- 
per ?  I  want  him  to  see  the  pot,  'cause  he  told  me 
how  to  fix  the  clay,  and  bake  it." 

"  Sartain :  I'd  like  to  have  Mr.  Seth  come  every 
night  in  the  week.  "  This  pot  isn't  glazed,  to  be 
sure ;  but  I'll  rub  it  with  tallow  and  beeswax : 
I've  heard  my  husband  say  that  was  the  way  the 
Indians  used  to  do  their  pots." 


180  FOREST  GLEN;    OR, 

"  Mr.  Seth  said  the  Indians  used  to  make  pots, 
mother." 

"  Sartain,  dear,  the  Indians  clear  back ;  but  now 
they  get  iron  ones  of  the  white  folks,  and  people 
reckon  they've  lost  the  art.  If  you  look  on  the 
side  of  the  river  where  the  old  Indian  town  used 
to  be,  where  you  go  to  get  arrow-heads,  you'll  find 
bottoms  of  pots  washing  out  of  the  banks,  and 
sometimes  half  of  one." 

The  good  woman  stuffed  the  pot  thoroughly 
with  tallow  and  wax,  dusted  some  flour  over  it, 
and  put  it  in  the  beans  and  pork. 

Mrs.  Sumerford  had  no  oven ;  but  that  did  not 
in  the  least  interfere  with  baking  the  beans. 
With  the  kitchen  shovel  she  threw  back  the  ashes 
and  coals  on  the  hearth,  and  took  up  a  flat  stone 
under  which  was  a  square  hole  dug  in  the  hearth 
(the  house  had  no  cellar),  lined  with  flat  stones. 
Into  this  hole  she  put  wood  and  hot  coals  till  it 
was  thoroughly  heated :  then  she  cleaned  the 
cavity,  put  in  the  pot,  covered  it  with  hot  coals, 
and  left  the  beans  to  bake ;  for  there  never  was 
a  better  place,  —  that  is,  to  give  them  the  right 
flavor. 

The   boys   could   not  leave   till  this  important 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  181 

operation  was  performed;  when,  finding  the  mill 
was  in  motion,  they  concluded  to  go  there,  and 
invite  Uncle  Seth  to  supper,  and,  after  having  a 
swim,  and  a  sail  on  the  raft,  escort  him  to  Mrs. 
Sumerford's.  The  mill  had  not  yet  ceased  to  be 
a  novelty ;  and  they  loved  dearly  to  watch  the 
grain  as  it  dropped  from, the  hopper  into  the  shoe, 
and  from  the  shoe  into  the  hole  in  the  upper 
stone. 

It  was  also  a  great  source  of  amusement  to  go 
up  into  the  head  of  the  mill,  and  hear  it  crack,  and 
feel  it  jar  and  quiver  when  the  wind  blew  fresh, 
and  put  their  hands  on  the  shaft  as  it  revolved. 
They  were  more  disposed  to  this  quiet  pastime, 
from  the  fact  that  they  had  been  prohibited  the 
use  of  powder  and  lead  for  the  present. 

When  Harry,  Alex,  and  Enoch  came  home, 
nothing  was  said  about  the  bean-pot,  though  it 
was  hard  work  for  Mrs.  Sumerford,  and  especially 
for  the  girls,  to  hold  in. 

"Come,  mother,"  said  Harry,  "we're  raving 
hungry :  ain't  you  going  to  give  us  any  sup- 
per?" 

"  I  should  have  had  supper  on  the  table  when 
you  came,  but  Mr.  Seth's  coming :  the  boys  have 


182  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

gone  after  him ,  and  I  knew  you  would  want  to 
eat  with  him." 

It  was  not  long  before  they  all  came  in ;  and 
after  putting  the  dishes  on  the  table,  and  other 
provisions,  Mrs.  Sumerford  took  from  the  Dutch 
oven  the  biscuits,  a  custard  pudding  she  had 
baked  from  a  kettle,  and  then,  placing  a  bean-pot 
in  the  middle  of  the  table,  exclaimed  with  an  air 
of  ill-concealed  triumph,  — 

"  There  !  Harry,  Elick,  Enoch,  look  at  that  pot, 
and  tell  me  where  you  suppose  it  came  from." 

They  examined  it  with  great  attention  ;  and,  the 
more  they  looked,  the  more  their  wonder  grew. 

"It  was  made  by  somebody  in  this  place,  of 
course,"  said  Alex  ;  "  because  nobody  has  been 
here  to  bring  it,  and  nobody  could  go  from  here  to 
get  it.  I  guess  Mr.  Honeywood  made  it,  because 
he's  lived  in  Baltimore  where  they  make  such 
things/' 

"  Guess,  all  of  you  ;  and,  when  any  one  guesses 
right,  I'll  say  yes." 

"  I,"  said  Enoch,  "  guess  Mr.  Holt  made  it,  'cause 
he  came  from  one  of  the  oldest  settlements,  where 
they  have  every  thing ;  and  he  made  the  mill- 
stones." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  183 

Harry,  who  had  been  examining  it  all  the  while, 
thought  he  recognized  Uncle  Seth's  handiwork 
in  the  inscription,  and  said,  — 

"  I  think,  as  Elick  does,  it  must  have  been  made 
here,  because  there's  no  .intercourse  betwixt  us 
and  other  people ;  and  no  regular  potter  would 
have  made  it  that  shape ;  it  would  have  been 
higher  and  straighter,  like  some  I  saw  at  Balti- 
more when  we  went  after  the  salt:  so  I  guess 
Uncle  Seth  made  it." 

"  Come,  Mr.  Blanchard,  it's  your  turn  now." 

"  I  guess  little  Sammy  here  made  it." 

This  assertion  raised  a  roar  of  laughter ;  and, 
when  it  subsided,  Mrs.  Sumerford  said,  — 

"  Yes ;  Sammy  made  it." 

"  O  mother !  "  cried  Harry,  "  you  needn't  try 
to  make  us  believe  that,  because  it's  impossible." 

Sam  had  ever  been  so  full  of  mischief,  that  it 
was  new  experience  for  him  to  receive  commenda- 
tion from  his  brothers ;  but  now  it  was  given  him 
with  a  liberality  amply  sufficient  to  remunerate 
him  for  its  lack  in  the  past.  A  proud  boy  he  was 
that  evening ;  but  he  bore  his  honors  modestly, 
and  his  face  was  redder  than  the  surface  of  the 
pot  on  which  he  had  bestowed  so  much  labor. 


184  i  <>;:r.sT  <;LI:\  ;    OR, 

When  the  cover  was  removed,  much  to  the  sur- 
pri>e  of  Mrs.  SumeriWd,  it  was  found  that  the  pot 
hud  not  lost  any  portion  of  its  contents. 

"  Why,  I  expected  to  find  these  beans  dry,  — 
most  of  the  juice  filtered  out, — 'cause  it  wasn't 
glazed ;  but  I  don't  see  but  it's  about  as  tight  as 
an  iron  pot,  though,  to  be  sure,  I  rubbed  it  with 
wax  and  tallow,  and  dredged  flour  over  it." 

"  That  pot,"  said  Mr.  Seth,  "  is  very  thick,  —  as 
thick  again  as  one  a  potter  would  make,  —  was 
made  of  good  clay,  quite  well  worked,  and  hard 
baked ;  and  it  is  no  wonder  that  it  would  not  let 
any  thing  as  thick  as  the  bean-juice  through  it. 
Good  potter's  ware,  if  it  isn't  glazed,  will  hold 
water  a  long  time :  it  won't  leak  fast  enough  to 
drop ;  it  will  hold  milk  longer  still ;  and  after  a 
while  the  pores  will  become  filled  up,  and  "twill 
glaze  itself,  especially  if  anybody  helps  it  with  wax 
as  you  have.  I  wish  every  woman  in  this  Run 
had  plenty  of  earthen  dishes,  pots  and  pans,  if 
they  were  not  one  of  them  glazed." 

"  If  there's  so  little  difference,  why  ain't  the  un- 
glazed  just  about  as  good  ?  " 

"•  Because  you  can't  keep  'em  so  clean  :  after 
a  while,  the  unglazed  ware  gets  soaked  full  of 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  185 

grease,  butter,  milk,  or  whatever  you  put  in  it, 
and  becomes  rancid ;  you  can't  get  it  out,  and  it 
sours  and  taints  whatever  you  put  in  it :  that  bean- 
pot  will  after  a  while ;  but,  when  ware  is  glazed, 
nothing  penetrates,  and  you  can  clean  it  with  hot 
water,  scald  it  sweet.  There's  another  trouble 
with  ware  that  is  not  glazed :  if  you  put  water  in 
it,  and  heat  it  on  the  fire,  the  water  swells  the 
inside,  and  the  fire  shrinks  the  outside ;  and  it  is 
apt  to  crack." 

"  Uncle  Seth,  you  said,  when  we  made  the 
dishes  down  to  the  river,  that  we  made  brick. 
What  is  brick  ?  "  asked  Sam. 

"  It's  made  of  clay  and  sand  worked  together ; 
and  this  brick  mortar  is  put  into  a  mould  that 
makes  each  brick  about  seven  and  a  half  inches 
long,  and  three  and  a  half  inches  wide,  and  two 
and  a  half  inches  thick;  then  they  are  dried  and 
burnt  hard  in  a  .kiln ;  and  in  old  settled  places 
they  build  houses  of  'em,  chimneys,  ovens,  and 
fireplaces:  they  don't  make  chimneys  of  wood 
and  clay,  and  fireplaces  of  any  stone  that  conies 
to  hand,  as  we  do." 

"  Did  you  ever  see  a  house  made  of  brick  ?  " 

"Yes,  a  good  many.     Israel  and  I  made   and 


186  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

burnt  a  kiln  of  bricks,  and  had  enough  to  make  a 
chimney,  fireplace,  and  oven,  in  our  house  where 
we  used  to  live ;  and,  if  this  terrible  war  is  ever 
over,  I  mean  to  make  brick,  build  a  frame  house, 
and  put  a  good  brick  chimney,  fireplace,  and  oven, 
in  it.  Israel's  wife  misses  her  oven  very  much." 

"  I  never  had  an  oven,  nor  saw  one ;  but  I've 
heard  of  'em,  and  I  expect  they  are  good  things. 
I  think  a  Dutch  oven  is  a  great  thing  for  us  wil- 
derness-folks ;  but  I  suppose  the  one  you  tell  of  is 
better,"  said  Mrs.  Sumerford. 

"  I  guess  it  is  better.  Why,  Mrs.  Sumerford,  if 
you  had  a  brick  oven,  you  could  put  a  pot  of 
beans,  twice  as  many  biscuits  as  you've  got  in  that 
Dutch  oven,  a  custard,  and  an  Indian  pudding, 
and  ever  so  many  pies,  in  it  all  <;t  once,  and  shut 
up  the  oven,  and  then  have  your  fireplace  all  clear 
to  boil  meat,  fry  doughnuts  or  pork,  or  any  thing 
you  wranted  to  do." 

"  It  must  be  a  great  privilege  to  be  able  to  do 
so  many  things  at  once :  I  can't  boil  and  bake 
more  than  one  thing  at  a  time  now,  except  beans 
or  potatoes,  because  I  have  to  bake  in  a  kettle." 

"If  you  had  a  brick  oven,  you  could  bake  a 
pumpkin,  or  a  coon,  or  beaver,  or  joint  of  meat,  or 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  187 

a  spare-rib.  Why,  by  heating  the  oven  once,  you 
could  bake  victuals  enough  to  last  a  week ;  and 
then,  any  thing  baked  in  a  brick  oven  is  as  good 
again  as  when  it  is  baked  in  iron.  These  beans 
wouldn't  have  been  half  so  good  if  they'd  been 
baked  in  an  iron  pan  set  into  the  Dutch  oven  or 
a  kettle,  because  that  place  in  the  hearth  is  what 
you  may  call  an  oven." 

"What  kind  of  moulds  do  the  potters  in  the 
settlements  have  to  make  their  things  of?  "  asked 
Sammy ;  "  or  do  they  make  'em  in  holes  in  the 
ground  or  on  a  basket  ?  " 

"  No,  indeed !  they  make  'em  on  a  wheel." 

"  Oh,  do  tell  me  about  it,  Uncle  Seth !  tell  me 
all  you  know." 

"  That  won't  take  long.  What  is  called  a  pot- 
ter's wheel  means  not  only  a  wheel,  but  a  good 
many  more  things  with  it ;  but  they  all  go  by  the 
name  of  the  potter's  wheel. 

"  In  the  first  place,  there's  a  rough  bench  made  ; 
and  then  there's  an  iron  spindle  goes  through  this 
bench,  and  not  far  from  the  bottom  is  a  crank ; 
and  below  this  crank,  about  three  inches  from  the 
lower  end,  a  wheel  is  put  on  it  as  big  over  as  the 
bottom  of  a  wash-tub,  with  a  gudgeon  at  the  end 


188  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

Unit  goes  into  a  socket  in  a  timber.  Upon  the 
oilier  end  that  comes  up  about  a  foot  above  the 
bench,  a  screw-thread  is  cut,  and  a  round  piece 
of  hard-wood  plank  is  screwed  on  the  top  of  the 
spindle  about  a  foot  over ;  on  this  the  potter  puts 
his  lump  of  clay,  and  smashes  it  down  hard  to 
make  it  stick  fast. 

"  There's  a  treadle  fixed  to  this  crank  on  the 
spindle,  just  as  there  is  to  }'our  mother's  flax- 
wheel.  The  potter  puts  his  foot  on  this,  sets  the 
clay  whirling  round,  sticks  his  thumb  into  it  and 
his  fingers  on  the  outside,  and  makes  it  any  shape 
he  wants.  After  the  vessel,  whatever  it  may  be,  is 
made,  he  takes  off  the  finger-marks,  and  shapes  it 
inside  and  out  more  to  his  mind,  with  little  pieces 
of  wood  cut  just  the  shape  he  wants ;  then  takes 
it  off  the  wheel,  and  puts  it  away  to  dry." 

"  Does  it  take  him  a  good  while  to  make  a 
pot  ?  "  asked  Harry. 

"  No,  indeed !  he'd  make  a  pot  as  large  as  that 
bean-pot  in  five  minutes,  and  less  too.  A  potter'd 
make  a  thousand  of  four-inch  pots  in  a  day.  In 
their  kilns  they  burn  thousands  of  pieces  accord- 
ing to  size,  of  all  kinds  at  once ;  as  it  don't  take 
much  longer,  nor  is  it  any  more  work,  to  burn  a 
thousand  pieces  than  two  hundred." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  189 

"  That  isn't  much  like  me,  two  or  three  days 
making  one  pot,"  said  Sammy. 

"  Sometimes,  instead  of  having  a  crank  on  the 
spindle,  they  put  a  pulley  on  it,  and  have  the 
wheel  on  the  floor,  and  a  band  run  from  this  big 
wheel  to  the  pulley ;  but  then  it  takes  another 
hand  to  turn  the  big  wheel." 

"  O  Uncle  Seth !  how  much  you  do  know, 
don't  you  ?  " 

"I  don't  know  much  about  pottery,  Sammy, 
because  it's  not  my  business ;  but  I've  seen  a  little 
of  it,  and  it's  the  most  interesting  work  to  see  a 
man  doing,  that  I  ever  looked  at.  I've  seen  their 
kilns,  and  seen  them  bake  their  ware,  but  it  was  a 
good  many  years  ago :  so  you  must  not  take  all 
I  say  for  gospel,  'cause  I  may  have  forgotten.  I 
always  take  notice  of  what  I  see,  because  some- 
times it  might  be  a  benefit.  I've  taken  more 
notice  of  brickmakers  and  masons :  I  can  make 
brick;  I  think  Israel  and  myself  could  build  a 
chimney,  between  us,  and  make  an  oven  and  a 
fireplace.  It  wouldn't  be  like  one  made  by  a  ma- 
son, but  would  answer  the  purpose,  and  be  a  great 
comfort  here  in  the  woods." 

"  We  don't  know  any  thing,"  said  Mrs.  Sumer 


190  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

ford ;  "  and  no  wonder  we  don't,  here  in  the  woods 
with  wild  beasts  and  wild  Indians.'' 

If  our  young  readers  will  call  to  mind  that  these 
frontier  people  had  never  seen  many  of  the  most 
common  conveniences  of  daily  life,  nor  witnessed 
any  of  the  usual  mechanical  employments,  they 
will  perceive  at  once  how  intensely  interesting  the 
conversation  of  Uncle  Seth  must  have  been  to 
this  family-circle,  and  also  how  much  mankind  can 
dispense  with  and  yet  be  happy. 

To  no  one  of  the  circle  was  it  more  absorbing 
than  to  Sammy,  who  longed  to  know  more  about 
the  matter,  and  asked  what  the  glazing  was  made 
of,  and  how  they  put  it  on. 

"As  I  told  you  once  before,  my  lad,  I  don't 
know  much  about  that;  because  it's  one  of  their 
secrets  that  they  don't  care  to  let  folks  know, 
though  I've  seen  some  put  it  on.  When  I  was  a 
boy,  and  lived  with  my  grandfather  in  Northfield, 
Mass.,  afore  we  went  into  the  woods,  I've  seen 
an  old  English  potter  by  the  name  of  Adams  make 
a  kind  of  glaze  that's  on  your  mother's  milk-pan. 
He  used  to  take  lead,  and  heat  it  red-hot  till  he 
made  a  great  scum  come  on  it,  which  he  would 
skim  off  till  he  burnt  it  all  into  dross;  then  he 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  191 

pounded  that  all  fine,  and  mixed  it  with  water, 
clay,  and  a  little  sand,  about  as  thick  as  cream, 
and  poured  it  into  the  things  he  wanted  to  glaze, 
rinsed  it  round,  and  then  turned  it  out ;  sometimes 
he  put  it  on  with  a  brush.  What  little  water 
there  was  would  soak  into  the  ware,  and  the  lead 
would  be  on  the  outside ;  then  he  put  'em  into  the 
kiln,  and  started  the  fire.  When  the  pots  got  red- 
hot  the  lead  would  melt;  and  I  s'pose  the  sand 
melted  some  too,  and  run  all  over  the  inside,  and 
made  the  glaze.  I  don't  know  as  I've  got  it  just 
right,  but  that's  as  near  as  I  can  recollect;  and  I 
know  I'm  right  about  the  lead. 

"  He  said  that  in  England  they  flung  a  lot  of 
salt  into  the  kiln  to  glaze  some  kinds  of  ware ;  but 
he  didn't,  and  his  glaze  was  just  like  that  on  your 
mother's  pan." 

"  What  an  awful  sin,"  said  Mrs.  Sumerford,  "  to 
burn  up  salt !  " 

"  Oh,  what  a  worse  sin,"  said  Harry,  "  to  burn  up 
lead !  I  should  rather  go  without  pots  and  pans  all 
the  days  of  my  life :  I'm  sure  there  are  ash  and 
beech  whorls  enough  in  the  woods  to  make  bowls 
of." 

"Indeed,"  said  Mr.  Seth,  "salt  and  lead  are  not 


102  FOREST    GLEX;    OR, 

such  scarce  articles  in  the  settlements  as  they  are 
amongst  us,  I  can  tell  you." 

Some  who  read  these  pages  may  think  these 
boys  to  be  very  much  inferior  to  themselves,  and 
be  almost  inclined  to  pity  them ;  but  are  you  sure, 
that,  considering  the  advantages  both  parties  have 
had,  they  may  not  be  far  your  superiors?  Not- 
withstanding all  your  advantages,  is  it  not  proba- 
ble, that,  turn  you  right  out  in  the  world,  you 
would  either  beg  or  starve  ? 

But  turn  one  of  them  out  into  the  woods,  with  a 
rifle,  tomahawk,  flint  and  steel,  and  I  would  risk 
him :  he  would  do  neither. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  193 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

THE   DAWN   OF  A  LIFE-PURPOSE. 

AFTER  the  conversation  referred  to  in  the 
preceding  chapter,  there  was  a  pause ;  and 
Harry,  well  knowing  Mr.  Seth's  habits,  filled  a 
pipe,  and  handed  it  to  him. 

While  he  was  enjoying  his  smoke,  Mrs.  Sumer- 
ford  washed  up  her  dishes  with  the  help  of  the 
girls,  and  the  boys  related  to  each  other  the  inci- 
dents of  the  scout. 

Sammy,  on  the  other  hand,  sat  with  his  hands 
clinched  over  one  knee,  as  still  as  a  mouse,  occa- 
sionally casting  a  glance  towards  Mr.  Seth ;  and, 
the  instant  the  latter  laid  by  his  pipe,  he  leaped 
from  his  stool,  and,  running  up  to  Mr.  Seth,  cried 
out, — 

"  O  Uncle  Seth !  will  you  make  me  a  potter's 
wheel,  and  show  me  how  to  make  a  pot  on  it,  and 
show  me  how  they  fix  the  glaze,  so  I  can  make  my 


194  FOREST   GLEN;    OK, 

mother  and  all  the  neighbors  bean-pots,  bowls,  and 
milk-pans,  and  glaze  'em  just  like  the  potters  do  ?  " 

"  I  can't,  child !  I  couldn't  make  a  wheel,  be- 
cause there's  a  crank  that  must  be  made  of  iron, 
and  we  haven't  got  any  iron.  If  I  should  make  a 
wheel,  I  couldn't  show  you  how  to  make  a  pot  on 
it,  for  I  don't  know  how  myself.  A  potter's  trade 
is  a  great  trade,  takes  years  to  learn  it.  It's  not 
every  one  who  can  learn  it ;  and  I  have  only  hap- 
pened to  see  them  work  a  few  times  in  my  life." 

"  You  could  make  a  windmill  without  hardly 
any  iron ;  and  you're  going  to  make  a  bail  to  take 
off  the  millstone  without  one  mite  of  iron,  when 
Mr.  Honeywood  said  'twas  impossible.  Every- 
body says  you  can  do  any  thing  you  be  a  mind  to. 
I  should  think  you  might  help  me." 

Adopting  the  method  he  had  ever  found  to  be 
most  effective  with  his  mother,  Sammy  burst  into 
tears;  and  so  did  the  girls,  who  sympathized  with 
him. 

"  Dear  me  !  what  shall  I  do  with  the  child  ?  " 
exclaimed  Uncle  Seth,  whose  whole  heart  went 
out  to  a  boy  so  interested  in  a  mechanical  pursuit. 

"  Do  help  him  if  you  can,  Mr.  Blanchard.  I'm 
sure  if  he  wants  to  think  about  or  do  something 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  195 

besides  killing  Indians,  and  risking  his  life  on 
rafts,  I  do  hope  you'll  gratify  and  encourage  him, 
if  it's  only  for  the  sake  of  his  mother,  and  tell 
him  something  to  pacify  him." 

"  Well,  Sammy,  if  I  can't  make  you  a  wheel  nor 
tell  how  to  use  it,  there's  one  thing  I  can  do :  I 
can  show  you  how  to  mould  brick,  and  you  can 
have  a  brick-yard  and  a  kiln,  and  make  your 
mother  a  brick  oven  that  will  be  worth  three 
times  as  much  to  her  as  the  bean-pot ;  and  she  can 
bake  beans,  bread,  and  meat  in  it." 

"I  don't  want  to  make  no  brick  oven.  I 
wouldn't  give  a  chestnut-burr  for  a  thousand 
brick  ovens.  I  want  to  do  what  the  potters 
do." 

"  Well,  I'll  tell  you  all  about  how  the  potters  work 
their  clay ;  and  then  you  can  make  a  good  pot  or 
milk-pan  on  a  mould  as  you  do  now,  and  I'll  make 
moulds  for  you.  I'll  keep  thinking  about  a  wheel ; 
and  perhaps  we  may  have  to  go  to  Baltimore  or 
Lancaster  for  salt  or  powder,  and  can  get  some 
iron  :  then  I'll  make  a  wheel ;  or  perhaps  I  shall 
think  of  some  way  to  make  it  without  iron." 

In  this  manner  Mr.  Seth  continued  to  pacify 
Sammy,  who,  wiping  up  his  tears,  got  up  in  his 


196  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

benefactor's  lap,  and  wanted   to  know  when   he 

would  show  him  how  to  fix  the  clay. 

Mr.  Seth  replied,  "  To-morrow  morning,"  well 
knowing  he  should  have  no  peace  till  it  was  done. 

Sammy  then  wanted  to  know  when  he  would 
tell  him  ahout  the  glaze  ;  to  which  he  answered 
that  it  was  no  use  to  think  about  that  till  the 
Indian  war  was  over,  as.  neither  lead  nor  salt  could 
Le  spared  for  the  purpose,  and  if  the  clay  was  well 
worked,  and  the  articles  well  baked,  they  would  do 
good  service  without  any  glaze. 

Harry,  Alex,  and  Enoch  now  took  their  rifles, 
and  went  home  with  the  children  ;  but  Mrs.  Sura- 
erford  persuaded  Mr.  Blauchard  to  tarry  all 
night. 

u  What  do  you  think  has  got  into  this  boy,  Mr. 
Bla-nchard  ? "  said  the  mother,  after  Sammy  had 
gone  to  bed,  "  that  he  should  set  out  all  at  once 
in  such  a  fury  to  make  things  of  clay  ?  " 

"Well,  Mrs.  Sumerford,  almost  everybody  in 
this  world  has  a  turn  for  some  one  thing  more 
than  another ;  and  you  know  that  all  your  boys 
have  a  turn  for  handling  tools :  Elick  and  Enoch 
have,  though  not  so  much  as  Harry." 

"  That's  true,  Mr.  Blanchard ;  and  they  take  it 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  197 

from  their  father:  he  could  make  almost  any 
thing ;  he  would  make  a  handsome  plate  out  of 
an  ash-whorl ;  and  he  made  me  a  churn  that  he 
dug  out  of  a  round  log,  and  swelled  the  bottom 
in,  then  put  hoops  on  r  it  was  the  handsomest  you 
ever  did  see." 

"  The  child's  got  that  natur  in  him ;  but  he's 
been  so  full  of  other  things  since  the  war  broke  out, 
been  stirred  up  all  the  time,  that  it  never  came 
out  till  they  began  to  build  that  raft.  He  was  the 
head  of  that;  but  when  he  got  hold  of  the  clay, 
and  started  the  notion  of  making  dishes  to  play 
with,  he  was  like  a  man  who  is  digging  a  well,  and 
all  at  once  strikes  water.  He  found  the  thing 
that  suited  his  turn ;  and  it  became  real  earnest 
with  him,  though  it  was  nothing  but  play  to  the 
others.  When  the  rest  of  'em  wanted  to  make 
dishes  out  of  wood  and  bark,  he  said,  *  Let's  make 
'em  out  of  clay.'  He  didn't  know  what  he  was 
fumbling  arter  in  the  dark,  didn't  know  he  was 
chalking  out  his  whole  life  ;  for,  mark  my  words 
for  it,  sooner  or  later  that  boy'll  be  a  potter,  and 
no  power  on  earth  can  hinder  it.  Mary  Sumer- 
ford,  I  believe  there's  a  higher  Power  has  to  do 
with  these  things ;  and  I  verily  believe  we  have 


198  I-'OKKST  <;LI-:N  ;   OR, 

our  own  way  least  when  we  think  we  have  it 
most." 

"  From  my  soul  I  believe  as  you  do,  Mr.  Blanch- 
ard,  and  always  did." 

"  I  know  how  -it  is :  he's  had  a  call  to  do  that 
thing,  and  you'll  see  how  'twill  be.  I  know  all 
about  it :  it's  no  new  thing  to  me,  it  was  just  so 
with  me  when  I  began  to  work  wood.  If  he  could 
be  in  the  settlements,  he  would  learn  a  potter's 
trade  in  no  time ;  but  what  we  shall  do  with  him 
here,  I'm  sure  I  don't  know." 

"  Then  you  don't  think  he'll  give  it  up.  Boys, 
and  my  boys,  are  apt  to  take  hold  of  some  new 
thing  pretty  sharp  for  a  time,  and  then  give  it  up, 
and  go  into  something  else." 

"  He'll  not  give  it  up  as  long  as  the  breath  of 
life's  in  him :  it's  clear  through  him,  in  his  marrow 
and  in  his  bones,  and  must  and  will  come  out." 

"  But  I  don't  like  to  have  him  down  to  the 
river :  the  Indians  might  carry  him  off." 

"I'll  get  him  to  go  to  the  old  Cuthbert  house: 
there's  good  clay  there,  and  the  spring  where 
Cuthbert  got  his  water." 

The  next  morning  Mr.  Seth  said  to  Sam, — 

"  Your  mother  don't  like  to  have  you  down  to 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  199 

the  river :  it's  too  far  away ;  the  Indians  might 
come ;  we  don't  any  of  us  think  it's  safe.  You 
must  play  with  your  clay  at  the  Cuthbert  house : 
it's  near  the  garrison,  and  then  you'll  all  be  safe." 

"  It  isn't  play,"  said  Sammy,  straightening  him 
self  up :  "  what  makes  you  call  it  play  ?  It  isn't 
foolish  play  to  make  a  bean-pot  and  things  for  folks 
to  use,  and  that  they  have  to  buy  at  Baltimore  : 
it's  real  work.  It  isn't  a  bit  like  making  mud-pud- 
din's,  cob-houses,  or  playing  marbles  or  horse,  or 
having  a  war-post  and  making  believe  kill  In- 
dians." 

"  Indeed  it's  not,"  said  Uncle  Seth,  more  delight- 
ed than  he  cared  to  express,  and  patting  the  young 
enthusiast  on  the  head. 

"I  don't  want  to  go  to  the  Cuthbert  house, 
'cause  it's  handsome  down  to  the  river ;  and  the 
raft's  there,  and  the  fireplace,  and  water,  and 
plenty  of  wood  to  bake  the  pots ;  and  the  clay 
down  there  is  real  soft,  and  just  as  blue  as  indigo, 
and  feels  greasy  ;  and  I  can  cut  it  with  my  knife, 
and  it  won't  dull  it  one  mite." 

"  I  know  that ;  but  it's  not  so  good  clay  to  make 
pots  as  the  gray  at  the  Cuthbert  house.  It  will 
do  to  make  bricks  by  putting  sand  with  it ;  but  it's 


200  FOREST  (;LI:N;   OR, 

liable  to  crack,  blister,  and  melt  in  the  fire,  'cause 
there's  so  much  iron  in  it." 

"It  don't  look  so  red  when  it's  burnt,  that 
Cuthbert  clay  don't." 

"  Well,  then,  you  can  bring  up  a  little  of  that 
from  the  river  to  color  it:  'twon  t  take  but  a  mite. 
There's  more  wood  lying  round  Cuthbert's  door 
than  you  can  burn  in  six  months ;  then  you  can 
have  the  house  to  dry  your  ware  in,  and  to  work 
in  when  it  rains,  and  the  great  fireplace  to  build 
your  kiln  in." 
9  "  What  shall  I  do  for  water  ? " 

"  There's  a  spring  on  the  side  of  the  hill  where 
Mr.  Cuthbert  got  his  water;  and  there's  a  great 
trough  in  the  kitchen  that  he  used  to  salt  pork 
in,  and  you  can  have  that  to  put  your  clay  in,  and 
a  table.  I'll  ask  Nat  to  let  you  have  that  to  make 
your  things  on." 

When  Mr.  Seth  concluded,  Sammy  expressed 
himself  reconciled.  He  then  told  him  to  dig  the 
day,  and  pick  out  any  little  sticks  or  gravel-stones 
he  found,  put  it  in  the  trough,  pour  in  water 
enough  to  cover  it,  and  let  it  soak  till  after  din- 
ner, when  he  would  come  dpwn,  and  tell  him  what 
to  do  with  it. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  201 

With  the  help  of  his  mates,  Sammy  was  not 
long  in  filling  the  trough  with  clay  and  water  when 
they  went  to  haul  wood.  The  settlers  hauled 
their  fire-wood  as  they  wanted  it,  and  did  all  their 
work  in  companies  for  safety. 

After  dinner  Mr.  Seth,  with  all  the  boys  at 
his  heels,  went  to  look  at  the  clay,  and  told  them 
to  strip  up  their  trousers,  get  into  the  trough,  and 
tread  the  clay  by  turns  with  their  bare  feet,  while 
he  sat  on  the  door-stone  to  smoke  his  pipe. 

The  bo  >  s  entered  upon  the  work  with  great 
good-will  j  but  the  longer  they  tramped,  the  stiffer 
the  clay  grew  as  it  absorbed  the  water,  and  the 
harder  the  work  became.  In  the  course  of  fifteen 
minutes  they  asked,  — 

"  Isn't  it  trod  enough,  Uncle  Seth  ?  " 

'  Not  yet." 

They  then  wanted  to  put  more  water  to  it,  but 
Mr.  Seth  would  not  permit  that.  The  clay  grew 
more  dense :  and  the  boys  began,  one  after  another, 
to  get  out  of  the  trough.  They  suddenly  recolr 
lected  that  they  were  wanted  at  home,  till  at  the 
end  of  a  half-hour  only  Will  Redmond,  Archie 
Crawford,  and  Sammy  were  left.  Mr.  Seth  then 
looked  at  it,  rubbed  it  between  his  fingers,  and 


202  FOKKST    CLKN  ;     OR, 

told  Sammy  to  let  it  lie  till  supper-time,  then  give 
it  another  treading,  and  he  would  tell  him  what 
to  do  next. 

When  the  time  came,  Sammy  could  not  get  a 
single  boy  to  help  him.  Their  interest  in  pottery 
had  evaporated.  They  had  the  cattle  to  drive  up, 
chores  to  do,  and  plenty  of  occupation.  Not  so, 
however,  with  Sammy :  his  enthusiasm  lay  deeper. 
He  got  into  the  trough,  and  trod  as  long  as  he 
could  see,  till  his  legs  ached,  and  he  perceived 
that  the  clay  became  much  tougher  and  finer. 
Just  as  he  was  about  to  go,  he  saw  Uncle  Seth 
coming  from  the  mill,  and  they  went  home  to- 
gether. 

When  Uncle  Seth  came  the  next  morning  to 
look  at  the  clay,  he  said,  — 

"  You  see,  my  lad,  we  always  do  every  thing 
with  a  better  heart  when  we  understand  the  rear 
son  for  doing  it." 

He  then  took  a  piece  of  clay,  placed  it  on  the 
table,  and  cut  it  in  halves  with  a  knife,  and  made 
Sammy  notice  that  there  were  a  good  many  little 
holes  and  bubbles  in  it,  and  some  little  hard 
lumps,  and  sometimes  he  picked  out  a  little  gravel- 
stone. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  203 

"  If,"  said  he,  "  these  air-bubbles  are  not  removed, 
when  the  ware  is  put  into  the  kiln,  that  air  will 
expand  with  the  heat,  and  burst  the  clay ;  if  there 
are  stones,  they  will  crumble;  if  there  are  sticks 
they  will  make  steam,  swell,  and  cause  a  flaw. 
The  potters  work  their  clay  more  than  a  woman 
does  her  dough :  it  is  a  great  deal  more  work  to 
prepare  the  clay  than  it  is  to  do  all  the  rest. 
After  they  have  worked  their  clay,  they  let  it  lay 
in  a  heap  to  settle  together,  and  break  the  bubbles, 
and  close  the  holes :  sometimes  they  dig  it  a  whole 
year  beforehand,  and  let  it  lie  and  ripen,  as  they 
call  it." 

"  I  don't  care  how  hard  I  work,  if  I  can  only 
make  a  real  good  pot." 

"  That's  a  manly  principle.  You  know  how  hard 
we  all  worked  to  build  the  mill ;  and  see  what  a 
blessing  it  is.  Every  thing,  my  lad,  comes  from 
labor :  it's  the  root  and  foundation  of  every  thing 
worth  having.  The  Indians  won't  work,  and  see 
wrhat  a  miserable  life  they  lead." 

Mr.  Seth  now  made  some  of  the  clay  into  large 
lumps,  and,  taking  up  one,  slapped  it  down  on  the 
table  with  all  his  force  three  or  four  times,  and 
then  kneaded  it,  and  made  Sammy  take  notice 


204  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

that  when  he  kneaded  it  he  folded  the  dough  back 
on  itself  so  as  to  keep  the  grain  in  one  direction  ; 
and  then  cut  it  in  halves,  and  Sammy  saw  that  the 
air-bubbles  were  closed  up. 

He  told  Sammy,  if  he  just  stuck  together  sev- 
eral lumps,  just  as  an  eave-swallow  does  to  make 
her  nest,  and  made  a  dish  out  of  it,  that  when  it 
came  to  dry  it  would  be  full  of  seams,  a  seam  for 
every  lump.  He  then  gave  him  a  mallet,  and  told 
him  when  he  was  tired  with  slapping  he  could 
pound  it  with  the  mallet. 

"  Why  couldn't  I  put  it  in  Mr.  Cuthbert's  hom- 
iny-block that  is  right  here  before  the  door,  and 
pound  it  same  as  we  used  to  the  corn  ?  I  could 
get  the  boys  to  help,  and  pound  up  a  lot." 

"  That  would  be  just  the  best  thing  that  ever 
was ;  and  get  them  to  help  you  all  you  can  the 
first  going-off,  while  it  is  a  new  thing,  for  they'll 
get  sick  of  that  sooner  than  they  did  treading  the 
clay  in  the  trough." 

Sammy  found  it  was  just  as  Mr.  Seth  said :  the 
boys  thought  it  was  nice  fun  at  first ;  but  they  soon 
became  tired,  and  one  after  another  found  their 
folks  wanted  them,  or  they  had  something  to  do 
at  home.  In  vain  Sammy  begged  them  to  stay ; 
but,  no,  they  could  not. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  205 

"  You'll  want  me  to  go  'long  with  you  some  time, 
and  then  I  won't  go,"  said  Sammy,  and  bega'n  to 
cry. 

Soon  Mr.  Seth  came  along  with  some  tools  in 
his  hand,  with  which  he  had  been  Avorkiug  at  the 
mill. 

"  What's  the  matter,  Sammy  ?  " 

"  The  boys  have  all  gone  off,  and  won't  help 
me  ;  and  I  can't  lift  the  pestle.  I  wanted  to  pound 
all  what  was  in  the  trough,  and  they  ain't  pounded 
more'n  half  of  it," 

"  Don't  cry,  lad :  I'm  going  to  the  house,  and 
I'll  send  Scip  to  help  you." 

He  felt  so  bad  to  have  all  his  mates  leave  him, 
that  he   could  not  recover  himself  immediately 
and  Scip  (with  whom  Sammy  was  a  great  favorite) 
found  him  in  tears. 

"  What  de  matter  wid  my  leetle  Sammy?  "  cried 
Scip,  taking  the  lad  in  his  arms,  and  wiping  off  his 
tears. 

"The  boys  won't  help  me,  —  Archie  won't,  nor 
Will ;  and  I  can't  lift  the  pestle." 

"  Nebber  mind  dem.  Scip  help  you  much  you 
want :  you  tell  Scip  what  you  want." 

Scip  was  a  powerful  fellow ;  and,  though  he  had 


206  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

always  avoided  the  hominy-block  before  the  mill 
was  built,  he  now  stripped  himself  to  the  work, 
and  soon  pounded  what  remained  of  the  clay  that 
had  been  trod  in  the  trough,  then  carried  it  into 
the  house.  Sam  cut  it  up  into  lumps  with  a  toma- 
hawk ;  and  Scip  would  take  them  up,  and  slap 
them  down  on  the  table  with  a  force  that  filled  up 
the  pores  of  the  clay,  and  made  it  compact. 

Sammy  hugged  Scip,  and  told  him  he  never 
would  scare  him  again,  would  give  him  half  of  all 
the  maple-sugar  he  got,  make  him  an  earthen  mug  to 
drink  out  of,  and  give  him  a  lot  of  his  hens'  eggs. 

It  is  not  probable  that  Sammy  would  have  ob- 
tained much  help  from  his  companions,  except  for 
two  reasons ,  one,  that  they  could  not  have  a  very 
good  time  without  him,  and  also  that  he  (by  his 
influence  with  Uncle  Seth,  and  through  him  with 
Israel  Blanchard)  could  obtain  the  company  of 
Scip  on  their  expeditions. 

Thus  it  was  for  their  interest  to  help  Sammy,  in 
order  that  they  might  have  him  and  Scip  to  go 
with  them.  Sammy  knew  this,  and  made  the  most 
of  it  while  they  were  disposed  to  make  the  least 
of  it,  and  help  him  as  little  as  would  answer  the 
purpose. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  207 

Sammy  found  that  this  clay  was  a  very  different 
material  from  any  he  had  used  before :  it  was  fine, 
tough,  and  did  not  stick  to  his  hands  in  the  least ; 
and  with  a  mallet  he  could  flat  it  out  into  broad 
sheets,  and  roll  it  with  a  rolling-pin  as  his  mother 
did  her  pie-crust. 

As  Mr.  Seth  became  interested  in  Sammy's 
work,  he  recollected  many  things  that  at  first  did 
not  occur  to  him,  and  told  Sam  that  the  potters 
put  handles  on  their  wares  after  they  were  partly 
dried ;  that  they  rolled  out  a  piece  of  clay  of  the 
right  shape,  and  then  stuck  it  on  with  a  little 
"  slip  "  (that  is,  clay  and  water  of  the  consistency 
of  thick  cream),  smoothed  it  with  a  wet  sponge ; 
and  after  the  wares  were  baked  it  would  not  show, 
but  all  look  alike,  and  that  a  rag  would  do  as  well 
as  a  sponge.  Mr.  Seth  had  offered  to  make  moulds 
of  wood  for  him  to  mould  his  vessels  on,  but 
Sammy  resolved  to  do  it  himself;  and,  as  he  knew 
that  the  quality  of  the  clay  would  improve  by 
lying,  took  time  to  think  over  the  matter,  and  col- 
lected a  number  of  hard-shelled  pumpkins,  gourds, 
and  squashes,  which  suited  his  fancy  in  shape, 
boiled  them,  and  scraped  out  the  inside  with  a 
spoon  instead  of  waiting  for  the  meat  to  rot,  or 
trusting  to  the  wood-ants. 


I'oUKsr  ci.r.x  :    OR, 

lie  wanted  to  make  a  bean-pot  for  Mrs.  Stcw- 
art.  and  especially  for  Mrs.  Blum-hard,  because 
I'nde  Seth  would  eat  of  the  beans  in  that,  and,  in 
respect  to  it,  wished  to  do  his  best. 

He  could  not  brook  the  thought  of  making  a 
pot,  that  was,  in  truth,  to  be  a  present  to  Uncle 
Scth  in  acknowledgment  of  favors  received,  and 
at  the  same  time  ask  him  to  make  the  mould  to 
form  it  on.  The  boy  likewise  felt,  as  ever}*  one 
docs  who  has  accomplished  any  thing,  that  he  now 
had  a  character  to  sustain. 

This  is  the  operation  of  right  and  wrong  notions 
and  doings  with  a  boy.  When  he  has  done  one 
or  two  good  things,  he  naturally  feels  anxious  to 
do  more,  and  maintain  and  add  to  the  reputation 
he  has  obtained. 

On  the  other  hand,  when  he  has  done  several 
bad  things,  and  feels  that  he  has  lost  character,  he 
grows  reckless:  it  becomes  up-hill  work  to  get 
back,  and  he  finally  gets  discouraged.  Thus  it 
happens  to  him  as  the  Scriptures  declare :  '•  For 
he  that  hath,  to  him  shall  be  given ;  and  he  that 
hath  not,  from  him  shall  be  taken  even  that 
which  he  hath/' 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  209 


CHAPTER   XVII. 

SELF-EELIANCE. 

THE  boys  wanted  Sammy  to  go  hunting  with 
bows  arid  arrows,  as  they  were  not  allowed 
any  more  powder  for  gunning  at  present ;  but  he 
recollected  how  they  had  disappointed  him  in 
respect  to  the  hominy-block,  and  went  to  the  mill, 
hoping  something  might  drop  from  Uncle  Seth 
that  would  aid  his  thought. 

The  good  man  having  constructed  the  crane 
and  screw  with  which  to  lift  the  upper  millstone, 
and  swing  it  off  the  spindle,  was  deliberating 
upon  the  method  in  which  he  should  make  a  bail 
by  which  the  screw  was  to  be  attached  to  the 
stone.  He  knew  that  among  the  trees  that  grew 
on  the  banks  of  the  stream  or  among  the  bowlders 
on  the  hillside,  where  roots  of  trees  were  turned 
from  their  natural  course  by  various  obstructions, 
it  was  not  difficult  to  find  a  root  or  branch 


210  '      FOREST   GLEN;    OK, 

that  would  form  the  upper  part  or  crown  of  the 
bail ;  and  then,  by  cutting  a  mortise  in  each  end, 
he  could  attach  two  strong  straight  pieces  of 
wood  to  drop  over  the  edge,  and  be  fastened  to  it 
by  wooden  pins,  thus  forming  a  kind  of  wooden 
chain  similar  to  the  brake  on  the  driving-wheel 
of  the  wind-shaft. 

He  knew  if  such  a  root  or  branch  was  found,  it 
would  be  a  rough  affair,  not  a  true  curve,  would 
probably  be  crooked,  at  least  one  way ;  and  that 
it  was  not  at  all  probable  that  one  would  be  found 
large  enough  to  hew  to  a  square  edge,  and  that 
here  and  there  portions  of  bark  would  need  to  be 
left  on.  Should  he  make  the  crown  from  a  large, 
slightly  sweeping  stick,  it  would  be  necessary  to 
cut  the  wood  so  much  across  the  grain,  there 
would  not  be  sufficient  strength. 

Mr.  Seth  was  sitting  flat  on  the  floor,  with  his 
back  to  the  wall,  chewing  a  chip.  Sammy,  who 
also  had  a  burden  on  his  mind,  seated  himself  at 
a  little  distance,  waiting  patiently  for  a  proper 
opportunity  to  speak. 

At  length  Mr.  Seth  began  to  talk  to  himself: 

"  I   know   what   I'll   do.     I   won't   get  a  natural 

.crook;  'twill  be  rough,  crooked,  full  of  bunches, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  211 

and  won't  come  to  the  stone  as  it  should.  It  will 
look  just  like  cart  and  sled  tongues  that  I  have 
seen  people  make  out  of  a  crotched  tree  ;  and  I 
always  despise  'em.  I  won't  make  it  in  pieces 
either.  I'll  take  a  tough  piece  of  wood,  and  bend 
it  to  exactly  the  shape  I  want ;  then  I  can  finish 
it  up  smooth.  Of  course  it  won't  be  quite  as 
strong  as  a  natural  crook,  but  I'll  make  it  larger." 

"  O  Uncle  Seth  !  how  can  you  bend  such  a  great 
piece  of  wood  ?  " 

"  Ha !  you  there,  my  little  potter  ?  You  can 
do  any  thing,  my  lad,  if  you  only  have  pluck  and 
patience." 

"  Then,"  thought  Sammy,  "  I  can  find  some 
better  way  to  make  pots,  if  I  have  pluck  and 
patience." 

"  Sammy,  have  you  got  your  rifle  with  you  ?  " 

"  No,  sir.  They  don't  let  the  boys  have  powder 
arid  bullets  now." 

"  Well,  I'm  going  home  to  get  the  oxen  to  haul 
a  walnut-butt :  run  down  to  your  house,  and  ask 
Harry  and  the  other  boys  to  go  into  the  woods 
with  me.  Israel'll  go  too.  And  tell  Harry  to 
bring  his  broad-axe :  I  want  him  to  help  me." 

Alter  hauling  home  a  walnut-butt  twenty  feet 


2~>2  FOREST  GLEX:    OR, 

in  length,  Mr.  Seth  rolled  it  upon  blocks,  and 
began  to  hew  the  bail  from  the  large  end  of  it  ; 
hewing  the  wood  to  a  proud  edge,  and  leaving  a 
much  greater  quantity  of  wood  in  the  middle, 
where  the  screw  was  going  through,  than  at  the 
ends. 

Israel  Blan  chard  and  Harry  began  to  make  a 
form  on  which  to  bend  this  great  piece  of  timber 
by  treenailing  logs  together,  and  hewing  them  in 
the  form  of  half  the  millstone  the  bail  was  to  lift, 
01  rather  little  more  than  half  as  room  must  not 
only  be  left  for  the  stone  to  turn  easily  in  the 
bail,  but  also  for  the  head  of  the  screw  between 
the  bail  and  the  stone,  and  also  at  the  ends,  as 
the  holes  for  the  pins  that  attached  it  to  the  stone 
could  not  be  very  near  the  end,  but  space  must 
be  left  to  admit  treenails  to  prevent  splitting. 

On  the  sides  of  this  form  they  fastened  strong 
uprights  opposite  each  other,  at  proper  distances, 
and  strong  yokes  to  slip  over  the  ends  of  them, 
and  fastened  by  pins  through  the  uprights,  that 
could  be  put  on  and  taken  off  at  pleasure ;  and 
made  a  number  of  large  wedges  to  drive  under 
the  yokes. 

It  was  now  sundown  ;  and    Sammy,  who   had 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  213 

been  much  more  interested  in  watching  the  work 
than  he  would  have  been  in  hunting,  went  home 
to  milk,  and  reflect  upon  the  matter  nearest  his 
heart,  having  enjoyed  some  little  opportunity  to 
converse  about  it  with  Uncle  Seth. 

Sammy  did  not  like  the  pumpkins  and  gourds 
as  forms  to  mould  his  dishes  on  neither  did  he 
like  a  mould  of  wood,  or  a  basket.  He  knew  the 
basket  would  leave  the  outside  rough. 

He  sat  down  in  the  yard  to  milk  his  cow,  and 
began  .  but  became  so  absorbed  in  thought,  that 
the  cow  put  her  foot  in  the  pail  all  unnoticed  by 
Sammy,  who  kept  on  milking  mechanically. 

"  Why,  Samuel  Sumerford !  are  you  out  of  your 
senses  ?  Don't  you  see  that  cow  has  got  her  foot 
in  the  pail  ?  What  in  the  world  can  you  be 
thinking  of?  Now  go  give  that  milk  to  the  hogs, 
and  get  a  clean  pail.  —  I  declare,  I  don't  know 
what  has  got  into  that  child :  he  was  always  tear- 
ing round,  couldn't  live  without  half  a  dozen  boys 
round  him,  always  complaining  that  he  couldn't 
have  no  good  times,  till  sometimes,  betwixt  him 
and  that  little  sarpent  of  a  Tony,  I  was  afraid  I 
should  go  distracted  ;  and  now  he  goes  right  down 
to  the  Cuthbert  house  the  moment  he  gets  his 


214  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

breakfast,  or  up  to  the  mill  with  Mr.  Seth  ;  and 
there  he  stays.  He  don't  seem  to  care  about  com- 
pany, nor  about  his  hens,  nor  any  play.  I  don't 
believe  he's  taken  a  bow  and  arrow  nor  a  gun  in 
his  hand  this  ten  days ;  and  seems  all  the  time  in 
a  study." 

"  I'm  sure,  mother,  I  should  think  you'd  be  glad 
of  it,"  said  Enoch:  "you  couldn't  take  any  peace 
of  your  life  for  him ;  at  any  rate,  all  the  rest  of  us 
are  glad." 

"  So  am  I,  Enoch;  but  it  seems  so  kind  of  unnat- 
ural!" 

If  the  cow  did  put  her  foot  in  the  pail,  and  if 
while  it  was  there  Sammy  was  leaning  his  head 
against  her,  he  got  an  idea  that  after  sleeping  on 
he  resolved  to  carry  out  in  practice.  But  scarcely 
had  he  despatched  his  breakfast  when  several  boys 
made  their  appearance  with  bows  and  arrows,  and 
wanted  him  to  go  with  them  on  a  ramble. 

"  Can't  go." 

"  What's  the  reason  ?  "  asked  Stiefel. 

"  Don't  want  to." 

"  If  you  don't  go  with  us  never,  we  won't  help 
you  tread  clay." 

"  I'll  go  some  time :  don't  wrant  to  go  to-day." 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  215 

The  boys  went  off;  and  Mrs.  Sumerford  said, 
44  Sain,  what  made  3*011  so  short  with  the'  boys?  I 
know  they  didn't  like  it.  If  you  wanted  to  work 
with  your  clay,  why  didn't  you  tell  'em  that  was 
the  reason  you  didn't  want  to  go  to-day?  then 
they  would  have  gone  down  to  the  Cuthbert  house 
with  you." 

44 1  knew  the}r  would,  marm  ;  and  that  was  just 
the  reason  I  didn't  tell  'em.  I  didn't  want  'em 
down  there  :  I  wanted  to  be  alone  to  contrive  some- 
thing. Mother,  if  you  was  going  to  draw  a  piece 
of  linen  into  the  loom,  and  study  out  a  new  figure 
that  you  never  wove  before,  would  you  want  all 
the  neighbors  in,  gabbing  ?  " 

44  No,  I'm  sure  I  shouldn't." 

Sammy  went  to  his  workshop ;  and  his  mother 
began  to  wash  the  breakfast-dishes,  saying,  u  Well, 
these  are  new  times:  I  shouldn't  think  I'd  been 
talking  with  Sam  Sumerford." 

The  first  thing  Sammy  did  was  to  gather  up  all 
the  pumpkins,  gourds,  and  squashes  he  had  been 
at  so  much  pains  to  select  and  dig  out,  and  throw 
them  on  the  woodpile :  he  had  brought  with  him 
a  piece  of  ash  board  (a  remnant  that  was  left  when. 
Harry  made  a  drum,  and  had  given  him),  also  a 


216  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

large  piece  of  thick,  smooth  birch-bark  pressed 
flat  as  a  board,  and  Harry's  large  compasses.  He 
sat  doAvn  at  the  table,  and  began  to  talk  to  him- 
self:— 

"  I  heard  my  brother  say,  and  tell  Jim  Blanch- 
ard,  he  didn't  want  to  eat  other  people's  cold 
victuals,  but  he  liked  best  to  build  his  own  camp- 
fire.  I  don't  want  to  eat  anybody's  cold  victuals 
neither.  I'll  make  my  own  moulds :  I  won't  ask 
Uncle  Seth  to  make  'em.  If  I  can't  make  'em,  I 
won't  try  to  be  a  potter." 

Sammy  had  found  that  the  bean-pot  he  had 
made  for  his  mother  was  about  the  right  size,  but 
the  shape  did  not  suit:  he  knew  that  everybody 
who  looked  at  it  would  see  that  it  was  just  the 
shape  of  a  pumpkin.  To  use  his  own  expression, 
it  was  too  "  pottle-bellied ; "  and  the  mouth  was 
not  large  enough  to  admit  a  piece  of  pork  the 
right  size.  The  cover  of  this  pot  dropped  inside 
the  rim  of  the  pot ;  and,  as  nearly  all  the  settlers 
baked  their  beans  in  a  hole  under  the  hearth,  it 
was  not  so  good  a  form  for  keeping  out  the  ashes, 
as  to  have  the  cover  shut  over  the  rim,  with  a 
flange  on  the  inside  of  it. 

With  the  compasses  he  struck  out  a  circle  on 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  217 

the  table,  the  exact  size  of  the  bottom  of  his 
mother's  bean-pot,  of  which  he  had  the  measure, 
and,  boring  a  hole  in  the  centre,  stuck  up  a  round, 
straight  willow  stick  considerably  longer  than  the 
height  of  the  original  vessel.  Around  this  stick 
and  in  this  circle  he  built  up  a  mass  of  clay  as 
high  as  the  stick,  and  much  larger  in  circumfer- 
ence than  the  old  pot. 

His  object  in  putting  the  stick  in  the  centre  of 
his  circle  was  to  obtain  a  guide,  a  plumb-line  cen- 
tre from  which  to  work. 

"  When  they  build  a  haystack,"  said  he,  "  they 
always  set  a  pole  in  the  middle,  and  then  they  get 
all  sides  alike." 

Having  thus  provided  plenty  of  material  to  go 
and  come  upon,  he  ran  home,  and  got  his  mother's 
pot,  and  placed  it  on  the  table  beside  his  pile  of 
clay ;  then  with  the  compasses  marked  on  a  piece 
of  bark  the  size  he  intended  to  have  the  mouth  of 
his  pot,  and  cut  it  out,  levelled  the  top  of  the  clay, 
and,  making  a  hole  exactly  in  the  centre  of  the 
bark,  slipped  it  over  the  upright  rod  and  down- 
ward till  it  rested  upon  the  surface  of  the  clay ; 
and  put  some  flat  stones  upon  it  to  keep  it  in 
place. 


218  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

He  now  had  the  centre  of  the  top  and  bottom, 
and  by  measuring  found  the  centre  of  the  side, 
and  marked  it  in  four  places ;  and  with  those 
guides  began  with  his  scalping-knife  to  slice  off 
the  clay,  form  the  sides  and  swell  and  taper  of  the 
vessel,  and  by  placing  a  rule  across  the  mouth 
obtained  another  guide,  till  he  thus  formed  a 
model  to  suit  his  eye.  Sometimes  he  took  off  a 
little  too  much  in  one  place,  and  made  a  hollow: 
then  he  filled  it  with  clay  and  cut  again,  until  he 
felt  that  he  could  make  no  further  improvement. 

It  was  of  much  better  proportions  than  the 
original,  which  was  manifest  as  they  sat  side  by 
side  :  still  the  capacity  of  the  vessel  represented  by 
the  mould  was  about  the  same.  If  it  was  a  little 
deeper,  and  had  a  larger  mouth,  it  was  less  bulging 
in  the  middle,  tapering  gradually  each  way. 

Sammy  cleaned  up  the  table,  and  was  walking 
round  it,  viewing  his  pot  from  different  stand- 
points, once  in  a  while  making  some  trifling  altera- 
tion, or  smoothing  the  surface  with  a  wet  rag, 
when  he  was  greatly  surprised  by  the  entrance  of 
his  mother. 

"  O  mother !  did  you  come  to  see  me  work  ?  " 

"  Not  altogether,  my  dear.     Nat  Cuthbert  said 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  219 

there  was  a  pair  of  wool-cards  in  the  chamber, 
that  he  would  lend  me.  Run  up,  and  look  for 
them." 

Sammy  soon  returned  with  the  cards,  when  his 
mother  said,  — 

"  Had  you  rather  be  down  here  alone,  than  at 
play  with  the  boys  ?  " 

"  Yes,  marm  :  I'm  having  a  nice  time." 

"What  made  you  throw  all  those  punkins, 
squashes,  and  gourds  away,  my  son,  after  you  had 
taken  so  much  pains  to  boil  and  scrape  the  inside 
out?" 

"  'Cause  they  wasn't  the  right  shape.  They  had 
their  bigness  all  in  one  place.  The  punkins  had 
their  bigness  all  in  the  middle,  the  squashes  and 
gourds  at  the  bottom.  They  wasn't  good  moulds, 
marm." 

"Wasn't  the  moulds  the  Lord  made  good 
enough  for  you  to  work  from  ?  " 

"The  Lord  don't  make  bean-pots,  mother;  he 
only  makes  squashes  and  punkins  and  such  like  : 
if  he  did,  he'd  make  'em  right,  'cause  he  makes 
the  beans,  flowers,  and  every  thing  right.  Marm, 
there's  both  pots :  now  which  do  you  think  is  the 
best  shape  ?  Truly  now,  marm." 


220  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"Well,  Sammy,  I  think  this  last  is  the  best 
shape,  and  it  has  a  larger  mouth  to  take  in  a  good 
piece  of  pork.  Come,  you'd  better  go  home  with 
me.  It's  only  about  an  hour  till  dinner-time." 

"  Has  the  mill  been  going  this  morning  ?  " 

"  Most  all  the  forenoon,  but  the  wind  is  nearly 
gone  now." 

"  Then  Uncle  Seth  hasn't  touched  his  bail ;  but 
he'll  work  on  it  this  afternoon,  and  I'll  see  him." 

He  now  made  a  profile  just  the  shape  of  the 
outside  of  his  pot,  from  the  thin  piece  of  ash- 
board,  then  set  it  off  an  inch  from  the  edge,  and 
cut  the  other  side  to  correspond :  thus  the  inside 
of  the  profile  gave  the  outside  of  the  mould,  and 
the  outside  of  the  profile  the  inside  of  the  vessel 
to  be  made.  He  then  placed  the  great  compasses 
each  side  on  the  middle  of  the  mould,  and  by  that 
measure  cut  out  another  birch-bark  pattern :  thus 
he  had  the  measure  of  the  diameter  in  three 
places,  bottom,  middle,  and  top.  After  putting  the 
profile  and  pieces  of  bark  carefully  away,  he  tore 
down  his  mould,  flung  the  clay  in  with  the  rest, 
laid  away  the  stick  for  future  use,  and  ran  home 
to  dinner. 

He  had  worked  out  all  his  plans  in  his  head 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  221 

and  in  part  with  his  hands,  knew  he  could  do  it, 
and  felt  easy ;  could  go  to  the  mill  now.  But  to 
have  gone  in  the  morning,  and  left  that  idea  unde- 
veloped—  he  would  not  have  done  it  to  see  Uncle 
Seth  make  a  dozen  bails. 

"When  he  came  near  the  mill  he  met  Uncle  Seth, 
Israel  Blanchard,  Mr.  Holdness,  Cal,  and  his 
brother  Harry,  who  had  been  to  dinner  with  Israel, 
coming  to  help  Mr.  Seth  bend  the  bail  that  he 
blocked  out  in  the  stick  the  day  before,  and  had 
not  meddled  with  since :  there  having  sprung  up  a 
"mill-wind,"  he  had  been  occupied  in  grinding. 
Thus  Sammy  was  in  season. 

A  fire  was  made  in  the  block-house,  and  water 
heated.  The  part  of  the  tree  on  which  the  bail 
was  made  being  covered  with  straw,  hot  water 
was  poured  on  it  till  it  was  thoroughly  steamed : 
then  all  those  strong  men  lifted  the  whole  stick, 
and  put  the  finished  end  on  the  mould  between 
two  uprights,  put  a  yoke  over,  and  Uncle  Seth 
drove  a  wedge  between  the  yoke  and  the  bail, 
bringing  it  snug  to  the  mould,  and  gave  the  word, 
"  Lower  away."  They  now  gradually  let  down 
the  heavy  unhewn  end  of  the  stick  that  was  in 
the  air,  the  great  leverage  bringing  it  down  easily, 


222  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

for  the  bail  was  as  limber  as  a  rag.  Slowly  the 
heavy  timber  came  down,  Uncle  Seth  meanwhile 
driving  wedges  under  the  yokes,  and  Sammy 
pouring  hot  water  on  the  portions  designated  by 
the  former,  till  the  end  of  the  stick  struck  the 
ground. 

The  end  of  the  mould  was  instantly  lifted,  and 
large  blocks  that  lay  ready  put  under  it,  which 
permitted  the  end  of  the  stick  to  come  down  far 
enough  to  bend  that  portion  of  the  bail  that 
formed  the  crown,  the  most  important  part  of  the 
whole  affair. 

"  Over  with  him,"  said  Uncle  Seth.  The  whole 
form  that  had  previously  stood  on  its  edge  was 
instantly  upset,  lying  flat  on  the  ground,  stakes 
driven  to  hold  it,  and  the  remaining  portion 
brought  to  the  mould,  secured  by  wedges,  and  the 
long  end  of  the  stick  sawed  off. 

The  mould  was  now  again  set  upon  its  edge, 
more  water  poured  on,  and  a  final  drive  given  to 
all  the  wedges,  and  the  operation  completed. 

"Indeed,  brother,"  said  Uncle  Seth,  passing 
his  hand  carefully  over  the  hot  wood,  "  there's 
not  the  sign  of  a  '  spawl '  on  it :  the  wood  is  not 
strained  nor  rucked  in  the  least.  A  smart  piece 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  223 

of  timber  that :  I  knew  'twas  afore  I  cut  it,  just  as 
well  as  I  know  now.  I've  had  my  eye  on  that 
tree  for  more'n  a  year." 

"  How  did  you  know  it  ?  "  asked  Sammy,  who 
was  not  disposed  to  permit  any  opportunity  to 
obtain  information  to  pass  unimproved. 

"  I  knew  by  the  way  it  grew,  and  the  ground  it 
grew  on.  The  limbs  came  out  straight  from  the 
tree,  and  turned  down :  a  tree  that  grows  that 
way  is  always  of  tougher  wood  about  bending 
than  one  when  the  limbs  run  up  like  a  fir.  Then 
it  grew  on  moist,  loamy  land  ;  and  trees  that  grow 
on  that  kind  of  land  have  wood  more  pliant  than 
where  they  grow  on  coarse,  gravelly  land. 

"  How  much  more  workmanlike  that  looks  than 
any  natural  crook  full  of  bunches  and  hollows! 
Not  that  I  would  say  any  thing  agin  nat'ral 
crooks :  they  are  great  things  sometimes  when'  a 
man's  at  his  wits'  ends,  specially  in  ship-building 
and  often  in  mill-work." 

"  What  are  you  going  to  do  to  it  next  ?  "  asked 
Sammy. 

"  Nothing,  my  lad,  right  away  :  it  must  remain 
in  the  press  two  or  three  days,  that  it  may  become 
set  so  that  it  won't  straighten." 


224  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

When  Mr.  Seth  found  that  the  bail  was  well 
seasoned  and  set,  he  took  it  out  of  press,  cut  the 
holes  in  the  ends  to  receive  the  pins  that  were  to 
hold  it  to  the  stone,  and  the  large  hole  in  the  cen- 
tre by  which  it  was  to  be  hung  to  the  head  of  the 
screw,  worked  it  off  smooth,  and  oiled  it. 

He  then  made  a  washer  or  wooden  circle  to  lie 
between  the  shoulder  on  the  head  of  the  screw 
and  the  under  side  of  the  bail,  in  order  that  the 
screw  might  turn  more  easily. 

Screws  of  this  size  are  always  turned  by  putting 
a  lever  into  holes,  generally  four  made  in  the  head 
of  them. 

There  were  two  objections  .to  this  method  in 
the  present  case  :  one  was,  that  the  bail  interfered 
with  turning  the  screw  ,  another,  that  it  would  be 
necessary  to  make  the  head  of  the  screw  much 
bigger,  and  require  a  larger  space  between  the 
bail  and  the  stone  than  Mr.  Seth  cared  to  have. 
Therefore  he  left  the  top  of  the  screw  square,  and 
made  a  lever  to  fit  over  it  like  a  wrench  over  a 
bolt. 

It  was  soon  known  among  the  boys  that  Mr. 
Seth  had  got  the  bail  most  done,  and  would  be 
likely  to  try  it.  Israel  Blanchard  and  Mr.  Hold- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  225 

ness  were  seen  by  the  children  going  towards  the 
mill ;  and  they  followed  suit. 

The  hopper,  shoe,  and  covering  boards  were 
removed,  the  stone  laid  bare,  and  the  crane  with 
the  bail  swung  over  it,  the  pins  that  confined  the 
latter  to  the  stone  thrust  in ;  and  Mr.  Seth,  stand- 
ing on  the  stone,  turned  the  screw,  arid  lifted  both 
himself  and  the  stone  as  easily,  Sam  Sumerford 
said,  as  a  squirrel  would  wash  his  face. 

It  was  then  swung  over  a  trap-door  in  the  floor, 
into  which  the  lower  edge  of  the  stone  dropped ; 
and  they  turned  it  over  as  easily  as  a  griddle  in 
its  bail.  No  more  would  have  been  required  to 
place  the  stone  in  a  position  to  be  picked,  than  to 
have  put  some  blocks  beneath  it,  and  turned  back 
the  screw.  The  hole  in  the  floor  saved  the  labor 
of  lifting  the  stone  so  high  as  would  otherwise 
have  been  necessary,  and  also  required  a  less 
length  of  screw. 

"  This  stone,"  said  Uncle  Seth,  after  examining 
it,  "  don't  need  picking,  and  I  didn't  expect  it 
did.  I  only  wanted  to  see  how  the  thing  would 
work.  Wonder  what  Mr.  Honeywood'll  think 
about  a  wooden  bail  when  he  comes  back  from 
the  scout." 


226  FOREST   GLEN;    OB, 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

FROTTS    OF   PATIENCE   AND    PERSEVERANCE. 

SAMMY  now  returned  with  greater  interest 
than  ever  to  his  work  of  experimenting.  Hav- 
ing kneaded  a  lump  of  clay,  he  flattened  it  out  on 
his  bench  with  the  mallet,  and  rolled  it  with  the 
rolling-pin  into*  a  broad  sheet  of  the  thickness 
which  he  thought  desirable  for  the  bottom  of  his 
pot,  and  cut  it  out  of  the  proper  size  and  shape, 
and  as  much  larger  than  the  original  vessel,  as  the 
thickness  he  intended  for  the  sides.  He  then 
sprinkled  sand  on  the  bench  to  prevent  the  bottom 
from  sticking,  rolled  out  another  sheet  of  dough, 
and  cut  it  all  up  into  strips  a  little  longer  than  the 
circumference  of  his  vessel,  thus  leaving  room  to 
lap  ;  these  he  rolled  into  pieces  as  nearly  equal  in 
size  as  possible,  and  with  them  built  up  the  sides 
of  his  pot  from  the  bottom,  moistening  the  edges 
where  they  came  together  with  clay  slip,  and  pla- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  227 

cing  them  one  upon  another  like  the  coils  of  a 
rope. 

By  pressing  with  his  hands  on  both  sides  and 
the  surface,  he  incorporated  the  different  layers 
into  one,  so  as  to  obliterate  all  the  marks  where 
they  came  together.  With  his  two  circular  pieces 
of  birch-bark  he  regulated  the  size,  and  with  the 
profile  the  curve,  of  the  side,  and  made  a  vessel 
precisely  like  his  own  model.  Then,  with  a  roll 
of  clay,  he  made  a  projection  on  the  inside  to  hold 
the  cover,  to  be  put  on  afterwards  when  it  was 
half  dry. 

The  young  potter  was  now  quite  well  satisfied. 
He  had  made  a  pot  far  superior  to  the  other,  of 
handsomer  shape ;  and,  the  clay  being  properly 
worked,  there  was  no  probability  of  its  coming  to 
pieces  in  the  fire  ;  and,  after  smoothing  the  sides 
with  a  wet  rag,  he  began  to  consider  how  he 
should  ornament  his  work. 

Harry  was  possessed  of  a  great  genius  for  sketch- 
ing and  drawing  figures  of  all  kinds  on  birch-bark, 
and  often  did  it  for  the  amusement  of  the  chil- 
dren. 

Sam  showed  the  pot  to  Harry,  and  wanted  him 
to  draw  on  it  Indians  killing  white  folks,  and 


228  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

scalping  old  people,  women,  and  little  chil- 
dren. 

"  I  wouldn't  do  that,"  said  Harry  :  "  that  would 
be  very  well  if  you  was  going  to  give  the  pot  to 
Mr.  Holdness,  McClure,  or  Mr.  Israel;  but  Mr. 
Seth  don't  like  any  thing  of  that  kind.  If  I  was 
you,  I'd  have  the  windmill :  I'll  cut  that  on  it, 
and  Uncle  Seth  right  under  it,  and  the  year  it 
was  built ;  and  on  the  other  side  I'll  make  a  man 
sowing  grain." 

Sammy  assented  to  this,  and  put  a  wreath  of 
oak-leaves  round  the  design  and  inscription  by 
pressing  them  into  the  clay  :  then  he  put  on  the 
handles.  Mr.  Seth  had  told  him  that  wet  leather 
would  polish  a  pot :  he  therefore  obtained  a  piece 
from  Mr.  Holdness,  who  was  the  tanner  of  the 
little  community,  and  had  managed,  by  shaving 
his  bark  with  a  drawing-knife,  to  tan  leather 
enough  for  pack-saddles. 

The  grateful  boy  now  resolved  to  present  the 
offering  (that  had  cost  him  so  much  labor),  to  his 
great  benefactor,  carried  the  pot  to  Mrs.  Israel 
Blanchard,  and  with  a  throbbing  heart  confided 
the  secret  to  her. 

The  next  day  she  invited  Mrs.  Sumerford,  Sam- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  229 

my,  the  families  of  Mr.  Honeywood  and  Mr.  Hold- 
ness,  to  supper.  "When  they  were  all  seated  at 
the  table,  she  put  on  the  pot  of  beans,  setting  it 
directly  in  front  of  Uncle  Seth,  with  the  windmill 
staring  him  directly  in  the  face. 

Great  was  the  surprise,  many  and  fervent  the 
encomiums  ;  and  Sammy  was  never  better  satisfied 
with  himself. 

He  had  also  made  a  pot  for  Mrs.  Stewart.  When 
she  looked  at  it,  and  read  the  name  inscribed  on 
it,  the  mother's  eyes  filled  with  tears. 

"  So  you  put  Tony's  name  on  it :  you  loved  your 
little  mate,  Sammy." 

"  Yes,  marm  :  I  miss  him  all  the  whole  time.  I 
never  shall  think  so  much  of  anybody  as  I  did  of 
him.  I  like  all  the  boys,  but  I  loved  Tony.  If  he 
was  here,  he'd  help  me :  we  should  have  made  a 
pot  for  our  two  mothers ;  and  'cause  he  ain't  here, 
I  made  this  for  you." 

"  You  are  a  bonnie  bairn,  an'  I  trust  your  mith- 
er'll  nae  ha'  occasion  to  greet  for  you  as  I  maun 
for  Tony." 

Sammy  could  now  make  earthen  vessels  with 
much  greater  facility.  He  had  a  good  eye,  and 
could  make  them  without  so  much  measuring  as 


230  FOREST   GLEN  .    OR, 

was  at  first  necessary,  and  without  making  a  model. 
All  he  had  to  do  was  to  determine  in  his  mind  the 
size  he  would  have  the  vessel,  roll  out  his  clay, 
and  cut  the  sheet  long  enough  to  form  a  circle  as 
large  as  the  circumference  of  his  vessel  at  its 
largest  place,  then  cut  it  into  strips,  lapping  some 
more  and  some  less,  as  the  sides  flared  or  tapered ; 
and,  as  he  kept  his  measures  of  height,  diameter, 
and  the  profiles  of  the  sides,  he  soon  learned  to 
make  a  vessel  of  any  size  he  wished. 

When  it  was  found  that  his  ware  would  bear  to 
be  put  on  the  fire  to  boil  in,  the  women  wished  to 
use  them  in  this  manner ;  but  there  was  nothing 
by  which  to  hang  them. 

One  day  he  was  digging  among  the  broken 
pottery  under  the  shelving  bank  on  the  site  of  the 
old  Indian  village,  and  unearthed  the  upper  half 
of  a  pot,  the  edge  of  the  mouth  rolled  over,  making 
a  very  broad  flange.  He  took  it  to  Mr.  Honey- 
wood,  who  told  him  that  it  was  done  by  the  Indian 
squaws  to  hold  a  withe  to  hang  it  over  the  fire  by. 

'•  I  should  think  it  would  burn  off." 

t:  They  put  clay  upon  it,  and  watched  it :  if  the 
clay  fell  off,  put  on  more." 

44  Mr    Honey  wood,  how  did  you  know  so  much 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  231 

about  Indians?  and  how  did  you  learn  to  talk 
Indian?" 

"  I  learned  to  speak  the  language  from  two  men 
in  Baltimore,  who  had  been  prisoners  with  them  a 
long  time :  of  their  customs  I  learned  a  great  deal 
more  from  Wasaweela  the  Mohawk,  with  whom  I 
hunted  and  camped  a  whole  winter." 

Sammy  now  went  to  work,  and  made  some  very 
thick  and  strong  pots,  that  would  hold  two  pailfuls, 
after  the  Indian  form,  and  fastened  withes  to  them. 
They  were  very  useful,  for  the  women  could  hang 
them  on  the  crane,  and  boil  meat  or  vegetables. 

They  kept  a  little  clay  at  home  to  smear  them 
with,  which  was  seldom  necessary  if  the  fire  was 
made  with  judgment  directly  under  the  bottom  of 
the  pot,  and  not  suffered  to  blaze  upon  the  sides. 

Sammy  now  wished  to  try  his  hand  at  a  milk- 
pan  ;  but  his  mother  discouraged  him,  because  she 
said  the  milk  would  soak  into  it  more  or  less,  and 
it  would  not  be  possible  to  keep  it  sweet,  and  after 
a  while  the  milk  put  in  it  would  sour.  However, 
he  made  one,  just  to  see  if  he  could;  and  it  looked 
just  like  his  mother's  except  the  glazing.  How  he 
wished  he  could  glaze !  He  made  pitchers  and 
drinking-mugs,  and  put  handles  on  them  by  form' 


232  FOREST    GLEN  ;     OR, 

ing  a  roll  of  clay,  and  then  sticking  them  on  when 
the  ware  was  partly  dry.  He  would  stick  the 
upper  end  of  the  roll  of  clay  on  the  vessel,  then 
dip  his  hand  in  water,  form  the  roll  into  proper 
shape,  and  attach  the  lower  end,  then  smootli  with 
a  moist  rag.  After  these  unglazed  dishes  became 
foul,  Sammy  purified  them  by  putting  them  in  the 
kiln,  and  baking  them  again.  He  made  another 
improvement  that  facilitated  his  labor.  He  got 
Scip  to  plane  and  shave  a  piece  of  pine  perfectly 
round,  two  feet  long,  and  three  inches  in  diameter, 
and  split  in  equal  parts  with  a  saw.  Scip  then 
hollowed  out  each  part,  and  put  dowels  in  one 
half,  and  bored  holes  to  correspond  in  the  other, 
which  held  the  pieces  evenly  upon  each  other. 

When  he  had  made  a  roll  of  clay  about  the 
size,  he  dipped  the  mould  in  water,  put  the  roll  in 
one  half,  and  squat  the  other  on  it,  and  thus  made 
every  roll  the  same  size  perfectly  ;  and,  by  count- 
ing them  up,  he  knew  very  nearly  when  he  had  cut 
out  enough  for  his  pot. 

There  was  one  thing  he  could  not  prevent  his 
mind  from  dwelling  on :  it  haunted  him  night  and 
day  ;  to  wit,  the  statement  made  by  Uncle  Seth  in 
respect  to  the  potter's  wheel,  and  with  what  mar- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIENDSHIP.  233 

vellous  celerity  vessels  could  be  made  on  it.  That 
a  thousand  pots  could  be  made  in  a  day,  seemed 
to  him  little  short  of  a  miracle.  He  had  not  for- 
gotten that  Uncle  Seth  had  said,  that,  instead  of  a 
crank  (of  the  nature  of  which  he  had  little  concep- 
tion), the  spindle  was  sometimes  moved  by  a  band 
going  over  a  larger  wheel,  and  passing  round  a 
smaller  wheel  (pulley)  on  the  spindle,  and  that 
this  large  wheel  was  turned  by  another  person. 

This  was  not  to  him  difficult  of  conception;  and 
he  thought  Uncle  Seth  might,  if  he  would,  make 
one  of  that  kind,  and  cherished  a  vague  notion 
that  he  might  make  such  a  one  himself. 

With  his  head  full  of  such  thoughts,  he  was 
occupied  in  preparing  nests  for  setting  hens,  and 
casting  about  in  his  mind  which  of  the  boys  he 
should  endeavor  to  persuade  to  help  him,  should 
he  adventure  upon  it. 

He  finally  pitched  upon  Archie  Crawford. 
Archie  was  quite  ingenious,  could  make  a  good 
wooden  or  horn  spoon,  a  windmill,  or  a  trencher, 
and  manifested  more  endurance  in  sticking  to  any 
thing  he  undertook  than  most  of  the  boys;  was 
of  a  kindly  nature,  and  willing  to  oblige. 

While    Sammy  was   thus  engaged,  Archie  pre- 


234  FOREST   GLEX  ;     OR, 

sented  himself,  accompanied  by  several  more 
armed  with  bows  and  arrows.  The  bows  were 
capable,  when  the  arrow  was  drawn  to  the  head, 
of  killing  a  bear  or  wolf;  and  the  arrows  were 
most  of  them  steel  pointed,  the  others  flint  heads, 
but  they  were  of  Indian  make  and  effective. 

These  bows  belonged  to  the  larger  boys.  The 
one  carried  by  Johnnie  Armstrong  belonged  to 
his  brother  Ned ;  Harry  Sumerford  had  killed  an 
Indian  with  it.  As  they  had  been  restricted  in 
the  use  of  powder,  they  had  betaken  themselves 
to  the  use  of  the  bow ;  but  these  boys,  by  virtue 
of  incessant  practice  from  childhood,  would,  when 
the  object  was  near,  kill  nearly  every  time.  The 
bows  they  now  had,  however,  were  too  stiff  for 
them,  and  they  were  not  able  to  draw  the  arrow 
to  the  head. 

"  Come,  Sammy,"  said  Archie,  "get  Harry's  bow 
and  arrow,  and  go  with  us :  we're  going  to  shoot 
pigeons  and  coons,  and  want  to  shoot  fish." 

The  boys  were  in  the  habit  of  shooting  fish 
when  they  came  near  the  surface  in  the  shoal- 
water;  but  they  sometimes  lost  both  arrow  and 
fish. 

Sammy  made  no  objections  to  going  this  time, 


THE   MOHAWK  S   FRIENDSHIP.  235 

as  he  had  used  up  all  his  clay,  and  knew  he  should 
need  help  from  his  mates,  and  that  he  must  gratify 
them  if  he  desired  their  aid. 

"  It's  no  good  for  me  to  take  Harry's  bow.  I'll 
take  Kimck's :  I'd  ruther  have  that.  I  can't  begin 
to  bend  Harry's." 

As  the  baby  was  asleep  in  the  cradle,  and  could 
make  no  objection,  they  took  the  bear  with  them. 
There  were  several  dogs:  Will  Redmond  had 
brought  Mr.  Honeywood's  Fan,  the  mother  of  the 
whole  litter ;  Sammy  had  one  ;  and  Tony's  had 
come  visiting  of  his  own  free  will. 

The  boys  would  have  taken  them  all ;  but  Mrs. 
Sumerford  objected,  because,  though  the  dogs  and 
the  bear  agreed  well  at  home  where  they  had  been 
taught  to  show  due  respect  to  his  bearship,  it  was 
quite  the  reverse  when  they  were  not  under  the 
inspection  of  their  masters,  the  dogs  always  being 
the  aggressors.  Therefore  the  dogs  were  shut  up 
in  the  house  till  the  boys  were  gone,  when  Mrs. 
Sumerford  let  them  out,  and  gave  them  their 
breakfast. 

Coons  are  wont  to  sleep  in  the  daytime,  and 
forage  in  the  night.  A  favorite  resort  of  these 
creatures  is  the  evergreen  trees  with  close  foliage, 


236  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

among  which  it  is  not  easy  to  see  them.  There, 
after  a  hearty  meal,  they  coil  themselves  around 
the  tree,  lying  upon  the  limbs  at  their  junction 
with  the  trunks,  and  sleeping.  The  boys  were  no 
novices  in  the  art  of  finding  them:  one  or  two 
would  climb  the  tree,  and  drive  them  to  the  top, 
or  upon  the  outer  limbs,  and  the  others  shoot 
them.  They  liked  best  to  shoot  pigeons  when 
they  could  find  them  011  the  ground,  or  on  low 
bushes  feeding  on  berries. 

In  shooting  into  the  tops  of  trees,  if  they  missed 
their  aim,  the  arrows  were  likely  to  stick  in  a  limb 
or  some  part  of  the  tree,  in  which  case  it  was  not 
only  some  work  to  recover  them,  but  the  points  of 
the  flint  ones  were  liable  to  be  broken,  arid  those 
of  the  iron  ones  bent,  or  if  steel  they  were  some- 
times broken. 

They  had  killed  four  coons,  finding  a  whole 
family  in  one  tree,  and  a  partridge,  and  were  now 
in  pursuit  of  pigeons,  creeping  on  their  hands  and 
knees  among  the  bushes ;  and  the  bear,  as  fond  of 
berries  as  the  pigeons,  was  improving  the  oppor- 
tunity, lying  down  on  the  loaded  bushes,  and  eat- 
ing while  the  juice  ran  in  streams  from  either  side 
of  his  mouth. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  237 

The  pigeons  were  accustomed  to  bears,  had  no 
fear  of  them,  would  feed  right  under  their  noses. 
Archie  Crawford  knew  this,  and  was  crawling  up 
to  some  pigeons,  and  sheltering  himself  from  their 
notice  behind  the  body  of  the  bear,  when  from 
under  a  windfall  out  rushed  a  wild  bear,  followed 
6y  two  cubs,  and  growling  savagely. 

The  civilized  bear  neither  manifested  fear  nor  a 
wish  to  quarrel.  The  boys,  on  the  other  hand, 
strong  in  numbers,  and  many  of  them  armed  with 
steel-pointed  arrows,  were  delighted  with  the 
prospect  of  a  duel  between  two  such  antagonists, 
and  shouted,  — 

"  Go  at  her,  baby !  clinch  her !  you  can  lick 
her  :  we'll  back  you." 

While  baby's  bear  was  mildly  regarding  his  sav- 
age antagonist,  the  hairs  of  whose  coat  stood 
upright  with  anger,  the  white  foam  flying  from 
her  lips,  and  who  was  working  herself  into  a  great 
rage,  one  of  the  cubs  ventured  up  to  baby's  bear, 
who,  putting  down  his  nose,  smelled  of  the  cub, 
and  licked  it  with  his  tongue. 

The  wild  bear  then  sprung  upon  the  tame  one, 
arid  seized  him  by  the  under  jaw ;  upon  which  the 
other,  being  much  stronger  and  heavier,  instantly 


238  FOKKST  <;i.i:x  ;    on, 

rose  upon  his  hind-legs,  and  flung  her  off  with  so 
great  force,  that  she  not  only  fell  to  the  earth,  but 
rolled  entirely  over  upon  her  back,  almost  crush- 
ing one  of  her  cubs. 

At  this  decided  demonstration,  the  bo}-s,  wild 
with  delight,  shouted  encouragement ;  but  the  tame 
bear  showed  no  disposition  to  follow  up  his  advan- 
tage, and  continue  the  contest  so  well  begun.  Not 
so  with  the  other,  who,  springing  up  madder  than 
ever,  kept  walking  around  her  opponent,  growling 
savagely,  while  the  latter  began  eating  berries. 

The  boys  now,  provoked  at  his  lack  of  mettle, 
addressed  him  in  another  fashion,  calling  him  a 
coward,  lazy,  and  a  fool,  because  he  did  not  spring 
upon  the  other  when  on  her  back,  and  finish  her. 

The  wild  bear  now  seized  the  tame  one  by  his 
right  fore-paw,  which  she  endeavored  to  grind 
between  her  teeth.  The  other,  however,  succeed- 
ed in  withdrawing  it,  and,  now  thoroughly  m.id, 
uttered  in  his  turn  terrific  growls ;  and  a  deadly 
grapple  ensued  between  them,  to  the  great  delight 
of  the  boys,  who  now  had  what  they  desired,  — 
the  prospect  of  a  contest  of  life  or  death. 

It  soon  became  evident,  that  though  the  tame 
bear  was  much  the  larger,  and  for  a  "  spurt  "  the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  £C9 

stronger  of  the  two,  and  by  no  means  lacking  in 
courage,  his  fat,  short  wind,  and  want  of  exercise, 
rendered  him  a  poor  match  for  his  lean  and  wiry 
antagonist. 

At  this  juncture  of  affairs,  Ike  Proctor,  who 
had  the  strongest  and  a  remarkably  clear,  sharp- 
toned  voice,  mounting  a  great  rock,  called  the 
dogs  with  all  his  might.  At  the  same  time  the 
others,  drawing  their  bows  with  every  ounce  of 
strength  they  possessed,  sent  a  shower  of  arrows 
at  the  wild  bear,  venturing  near  enough  to  make 
amends  for  lack  of  muscle. 

The  bear  instantly  turned  upon  the  boys,  struck 
Sammy's  bow  from  his  hand  with  a  blow  of  her 
paw,  tore  his  hunting-shirt  from  his  shoulder, 
slightly  lacerating  the  flesh,  broke  his  belt,  and  in 
another  instant  would  have  killed  him  if  Jim 
Grant  had  not  at  that  moment  sent  a  flint-headed 
arrow  into  her  right  eye,  and  Archie  Crawford  fas- 
tened a  steel  point  in  her  left  nostril ;  and  Sammy, 
picking  up  his  weapon  while  the  bear  was  trying 
to  shake  the  barbed  shaft  from  her  nostril,  re- 
turned to  the  charge. 

"  Here  they  come  !  Here  come  the  dogs ! " 
shouted  Rogers.  On  they  came,  full  stretch,  utter- 


240  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

ing  short  harks;  the  mother,  a  powerful  veti-nni 
used  to  coping  with  bears  and  wolves,  leading 
the  van.  Instinctively  avoiding  the  stroke  of 
the  bear's  paw,  she  fastened  to  the  right  ear  of  the 
brute,  one  of  the  pups  instantly  seizing  the  left. 

The  bear,  enfeebled  by  her  previous  encounter 
and  the  loss  of  blood,  strove  in  vain  to  shake  off 
these  ferocious  antagonists.  Strong  as  fierce  they 
clung  to  her,  while  the  remaining  dog  buried  his 
fangs  in  the  bear's  throat,  and,  rolling  her  on  her 
back,  thrust  his  sharp  muzzle  in  her  vitals.  The 
blood  poured  out  in  a  stream ;  the  hard-lived 
animal  quivered  a  moment,  and  gave  up. 

Excited  by  the  combat,  and  the  smell  and  taste 
of  blood,  the  dogs  instantly  turned  upon  baby's 
bear  already  half  dead,  and  upon  the  cubs,  and 
killed  them  in  a  moment  in  spite  of  all  their  mas- 
ters could  do  to  prevent  it. 

The  boys  would  have  killed  the  dogs  if  they 
had  dared,  so  enraged  and  grieved  were  they  at 
the  death  of  the  tame  bear,  and  also  at  the  loss  of 
the  cubs  which  they  coveted. 

"  What  pretty  little  things  these  would  have 
been  for  us  to  keep !  "  said  Mugford,  taking  one  of 
the  cubs  up  in  his  arms.  "Baby's  bear  would 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  241 

have  liked  'em ;  and  how  handsome  the  baby  and 
the  two  little  bears  would  have  looked,  all  three 
lying  asleep  together  on  the  old  bear !  " 

"  They  were  big  enough  to  eat  any  thing,"  said 
Proctor. 

"You're  crying,  Sammy,"  said  Will  Redmond, 
noticing  the  tears  on  his  cheeks,  which  he  did 
not  try  to  conceal. 

"If  I  be,  I  ain't  crying  for  myself,  but  only 
'cause  baby'll  miss  his  bear,  and  'cause  my  moth- 
er'll  feel  so  bad :  she  loved  the  bear  'cause  he  was 
so  good  to  the  baby.  I've  seen  him  lay  on  the 
hearth  after  he'd  been  asleep,  and  just  waked  up, 
and  stretch  and  gape,  and  stick  out  every  claw  on 
his  feet,  just  like  the  old  cat  will  sometimes ;  the 
baby  would  see  'em,  and  creep  along  to  get  hold 
of  'em  ;  and  the  bear  would  put  'em  all  in  so  they 
needn't  scratch  baby.  I've  seen  that  little  thing 
try  to  suck  the  bear's  paw.  Oh,  he  was  a  good 
bear ! " 

*'  I  loved  him  too,"  said  Archie  ;  "  and  it  makes 
me  feel  real  bad,  just  like  crying.  Let's  all  cry. 
There  ain't  anybody  to  see  us:  we'll  cry  all  we 
want  to." 

It  needed  but  this  to  open  the  sluices,  for  the 


242  FOUEST   GLEN;    OR, 

eyes  of  every  boy  were  brimfull  of  tears.  They 
had  a  good  solid  cry,  and,  having  given  vent  to 
their  pent-up  emotions,  felt  relieved. 

They  all  collected  round  the  dead  body  of  the 
bear.  Sammy,  kneeling  down,  began  to  pat  his 
head,  and  talk  to  him  as  though  he  was  alive. 

"  Poor  beary  !  we  be  all  real  sorry  you're  dead  : 
mother  and  the  baby'll  be  sorry  too.  The  dogs 
always  did  hate  you,  though  you  never  did  them  a 
bit  of  hurt,  wouldn't  hurt  a  fly." 

"  If  you'd  been  brought  up  in  the  woods  same 
as  that  wild  bear,  you  'd  have  licked  two  of  her." 

"  The  dogs  know  they've  done  wrong,"  said 
Rogers :  "  only  see  how  meaching  they  look,  and 
keep  their  tails  'twixt  their  legs." 

The  wild  bear  was  poor,  and  not  fit  to  eat :  so 
they  skinned  her.  But  baby's  bear  was  as  fat  as  a 
well-fatted  hog ,  but  no  one  of  them  for  a  moment 
indulged  the  thought  of  eating  or  even  skinning 
him. 

"  If  we  leave  the  baby's  bear  in  the  woods,  and 
cover  him  up  with  brush,  the  wolves  will  get 
him,"  said  Sammy. 

Fred  Stiefel  and  Archie  volunteered  to  go 
home,  and  get  shovels  and  hoes ;  and  they  soon 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  243 

dug  a  grave  in  the  soft  ground  to  bury  their  pet 
in. 

"  Let's  put  the  cubs  'long  with  baby's  bear. 
We  know  he  liked  'em,  cause  he  smelt  of  'em,  and 
was  licking  one  of  'em  when  the  old  bear  jumped 
at. him,"  said  Archie. 

"  The  wolves  sha'n't  have  baby's  bear ;  they 
sha'n't  pick  his  bones,"  said  Sammy. 

The  boys  brought  stones  as  large  as  two,  and 
sometimes  as  large  as  four  of  them,  could  carry, 
and  piled  them  on  the  grave  to  prevent  the  wolves 
from  digging  into  it.  They  put  a  large  stone  in 
the  bear-skin  ;  and  four  carried  it,  and  put  on 
small  ones  till  they  made  a  large  pile,  resolving 
whenever  they  came  that  way  they  would  put  on 
a  stone.  When  the  boys  returned  home  (for  they 
all  went  home  with  Sam),  bringing  with  them  the 
bear-skin,  four  coons,  a  partridge,  and  only  three 
pigeons,  and  with  downcast  looks  made  known 
what  had  taken  place,  Mrs.  Sumerford  expressed 
much  sorrow. 

"  You  don't  know,  Sammy,  how  much  I  shall 
miss  that  creature.  He  was  so  good !  He  wasn't 
a  mite  like  any  tame  bear  that  ever  I  saw ;  and 
I've  seen  scores  of  'em,  first  and  last.  They  are 


244  FOREST  GLEN;   on, 

always  great  thieves ;  but  he  wasn't ;  he  had 
principle  :  he  was  a  good  deal  honester  than  Scip. 
They  are  mostly  great  plagues ;  people  soon  grow 
sick  of  'em,  and  kill  'em :  but  he  was  not  the  least 
trouble.  All  the  tame  bears  that  ever  I  saw 
before  him  were  mighty  unsartin' :  they'd  take 
spells  when  they  would  snap  and  strike  with  their 
paws." 

"  Tony's  bear  did :  he  killed  a  dog,  broke  his 
back  at  one  lick  of  his  paw ;  and  he  clinched  Mrs. 
Blanchard,  and  wanted  to  kill  her,"  said  Grant. 

"  I  know  he  did ;  but  this  bear  was  a  great  he^lp 
to  me  about  the  child.  When  I  was  all  alone, 
and  wanted  to  weave,  I  could  put  the  baby  on  the 
floor  with  the  bear,  and  they  would  play  ever  so 
long ;  and  when  I  couldn't  get  the  little  one  to 
sleep  by  rocking,  to  save  me,  he'd  go  to  sleep  on 
the  bear." 

While  his  mother  was  thus  recounting  the  vir- 
tues of  the  dead,  it  brought  the  whole  matter  to 
the  mind  of  Sammy  in  such  a  light  that  he  began 
to  cry,  and  the  boys  with  him ;  and  finally  the 
good  woman  herself  was  moved  by  the  tears  of 
the  children. 

The   baby   was   sitting  on   the   floor   with   his 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  245 

playthings,  and,  not  knowing  what  to  make  of  it, 
began  staring  with  his  great  round  eyes,  first  at 
his  mother,  then  at  the  others ;  and  finally,  not 
relishing  the  silence,  pounded  on  the  floor  with  a 
spoon,  and  laughed. 

"  If  you  wasn't  a  baby,  you  wouldn't  laugh  •, 
you'd  cry  like  every  thing,"  said  Sammy. 

"  What  creatures  boys  are  !  "  said  Mrs.  Sumer 
ford.  "  We've  been  thinking  all  the  danger  was 
from  Indians ;  but  I'm  afraid  they'll  contrive  to 
be  killed  by  bears,  or  be  drowned.  They  will  if 
they  can." 


FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

TRIUMPH  OF  THOUGHT  AND  INGENUITY. 

AFTER  the  departure  of  the  boys,  Sammy 
took  up,  with  greater  enthusiasm  than  ever, 
those  trains  of  thought  that  had  been  so  rudely 
interrupted  by  the  day's  occurrences,  and  after 
supper  sat  down  in  one  corner  of  the  room  to 
reflect. 

His  mother,  having  spun  her  stint,  began  to  reel 
up  the  yarn.  As  he  sat  thinking,  and  occasionally 
looking  at  her  as  she  reeled  the  yarn  from  the 
spindle,  he  communed  thus  with  himself:  — 

"  If  a  potter's  wheel  is  an  upright  spindle  with 
a  little  wheel  on  it  turned  by  a  band  that  goes 
over  a  big  wheel,  and  my  mother's  wheel  is  a  level 
spindle  with  a  little  wheel  on  it  turned  by  a  band 
that  goes  over  a  big  wheel,  then  what's  the  reason, 
if  my  mother's  wheel  is  turned  upside  down,  the 
spindle  won't  be  upright,  just  as  Uncle  Seth  said 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  247 

a  potter's  wheel  was  ?  And  then  if  there  was  a 
round  piece  put  on  top  to  put  the  clay  on,  and  you 
turned  the  big  wheel,  it  would  turn  the  clay." 

"  Sammy,  don't  you  feel  well  ? "  setting  her 
wheel  back  against  the  wall. 

"  Yes,  ma'am,  I'm  well." 

"  What  makes  you  sit  there  so  still,  then  ?  " 

"  I  don't  know,  ma'am."     . 

"  I  don't  believe  you  feel  very  well :  you've  been 
through  a  good  deal  this  day,  and  you  needn't  go 
to  milking.  I'll  milk :  the  cows  don't  give  a  great 
mess  now." 

Scarcely  had  his  mother  left  the  threshold  than 
Sammy,  jumping  up,  turned  the  wheel  over  flat  on 
the  floor,  with  the  pointed  end  of  the  spindle 
uppermost.  He  put  a  log  under  the  post  of  the 
wheel  to  keep  the  end  of  the  spindle  from  touch- 
ing the  floor,  and  prevent  its  turning.  There  was 
a  basket  of  turnips  sitting  in  the  corner  :  he  sliced 
the  top  from  one  of  them,  to  flatten  it,  and  stuck 
it  on  the  end  of  the  spindle,  and  getting  on  his 
knees  turned  the  wheel  round ;  and  round  went 
both  spindle  and  turnip. 

"  There  ! "  said  he  talking  to  himself,  "  if  that 
turnip  was  a  round  piece  of  wood,  and  if  there 


248  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

was  clay  on  it,  'twould  be  the  same  thing  as  the 
potter's  wheel  that  Uncle  Seth  told  about,  that 
didn't  have  any  crank,  only  two  wheels." 

The  same  principle,  Sammy  meant. 

"  I  haven't  got  any  tools,  nor  any  thing 'to  make 
a  wheel  of:  so  I  couldn't  make  ojie." 

The  tears  sprung  to  the  poor  boy's  eyes ;  and 
hearing  his  mother's  step  on  the  door-stone,  and 
not  wanting  to  have  her  question  him  about  his 
tears,  he  opened  the  window-shutter,  leaped  out, 
made  for  the  hovel,  and  sat  down  there.  He  had 
left  in  haste ;  and,  as  Mrs.  Sumerford  set  down 
her  milk-pail,  she  saw  her  wheel  upside  down,  witli 
a  turnip  on  the  end  of  the  spindle.  "  What's  all 
this  !  "  pulling  off  the  turnip.  "  Samuel,  Samuel 
Sumerford  !  Did  ever  anybody  see  or  hear  tell  of 
such  a  boy  ?  It's  a  mercy  that  he  didn't  break  the 
wheel-head.  What  satisfaction  could  there  be  in 
turning  that  wheel  upside  down,  and  sticking  a 
turnip  on  the  spindle  ?  " 

The  little  fellow's  reflections  were  of  a  sombre 
cast.  "  There  ain't  no  good  times  now  as  there 
used  to  be.  I  had  a  bear,  and  he  was  killed ;  Tony 
had  one,  and  he  was  killed ;  and  now  baby's  bear, 
that  was  the  best  most  of  the  whole,  L  killec\  too. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  249 

I  had  a  tame  coon,  and  they  killed  him  ;  a  cosset 
lamb,  and  he  died ;  and  the  Indians  have  come, 
and  carried  off  Tony  who  I  loved  better  than  the 
bear  or  coon  or  cosset  lamb.  The  Indians  keep 
coming,  and  killin'  our  folks ;  and  Alice  Proctor 
thinks  they'll  kill  us  all  some  time." 

Sammy's  thoughts  now  seemed  to  take  a  sudden 
turn ;  for  at  once  he  jumped  up,  and  ran  at  his 
utmost  speed  to  the  Cuthbert  house.  His  mother, 
looking  after  him  in  amazement,  said,  — 

"  I  don't  know  about  this  pottery  business :  the 
child  don't  seem  one  mite  as  he  used  to.  I  hope 
he  won't  lose  his  wits." 

Rushing  up  garret,  he  brought  down  part  of  a 
flax-wheel ;  that  is,  the  bench,  the  wheel,  and  the 
posts  on  which  the  wheel  was  hung,  the  rest  hav- 
ing been  carried  off  by  Cuthbert.  Sammy's  spir- 
its rose  with  a  bound  :  he  thought,  if  he  only  had 
a  wheel,  he  could  manage  the  rest. 

Where  should  he  get  boards  to  make  a  bench  ? 
for  boards  were  precious  things  in  the  settlement. 
He  recollected  that  Mr.  McDonald  had  in  his 
house  a  meal-chest,  and  partitions  made  of  boards, 
and  some  milk-shelves ;  and  that  some  of  them 
were  used  for  making  coffins  to  bury  the  family 


250  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

in,  as  there  was  not  time  to  manufacture  boards 
with  the  whip-saw.  But  he  thought  they  might 
not  all  have  been  used ;  the  house  stood  empty, 
and  was  rotting  down. 

Away  ran  the  excited  lad  for  Archie,  made  a 
confidant  of  him,  and  wanted  him  to  go  to  the 
McDonald  house  to  see  if  there  were  not  some 
boards  there,  and,  if  so,  get  them. 

"You  don't  ketch  me  there  this  time  of  day: 
it's  haunted.  It's  all  but  sundown  now.  I'll  go 
in  the  morning :  'twill  be  dark  by  the  time  we  get 
there." 

"  '  Twon't  be  dark  if  we  run.  All  I  want  is  just 
to  look  in,  and  see  what  there  ;s ;  and,  if  there  is 
any,  we  can  get  them  some  other  time." 

As  usual,  Sammy  prevailed ;  and  away  they  ran, 
reaching  the  place  just  after  the  sun  had  set. 
Directly  before  the  door  stood  the  hominy-block 
on  which  McDonald  and  his  son  were  pounding 
corn  when  the  savages  came  upon  them,  and  an 
Indian  arrow  still  sticking  in  the  block.  On  the 
door-step  was  the  blood-stain,  where  little  Maggie 
was  butchered.  The  boys  recollected  it  well,  for 
she  was  their  playmate.  They  didn't  like  to  ven- 
ture in ;  for  the  bullet-proof  shutters  were  closed 


THE   MOHAWKS   FRIENDSHIP.  251 

just  as  they  had  been  left  when  the  family  were 
killed,  and  it  was  dark  inside.  They  had  not  for- 
gotten that  the  floor  (on  that  fearful  morning) 
of  the  very  room  in  which  they  expected  to  find 
the  boards  was  red  with  the  blood  of  Grace  and 
Janet  McDonald.  They  tried  to  look  through 
the  loop-holes,  but  could  not  see  any  thing  distinct- 
ly within. 

"  You  go  in,  Sam." 

"  I  don't  want  to :  go  yourself." 

"It's  more  your  place  to  go  than  'tis  for  me, 
'cause  you  want  to  be  a  potter." 

Urged  by  his  desire  to  obtain  boards,  Sammy  at 
length  entered  the  door,  and,  standing  in  the  pas- 
sage, looked  in. 

"  I  see  some  square  pieces  of  timber,  Archie, 
that  would  be  nice  to  make  the  frame  of  the 
bench;  but  I  don't  see  any  boards.  The  parti- 
tion's all  taken  down :  only  these  timbers  what  it 
was  fastened  to  are  left." 

A  slight  noise  was  heard  in  the  room ;  and  Sam 
tumbled  over  Archie  in  his  haste  to  escape,  and 
both  ran  away.  They  ventured  back,  and  found 
that  the  noise  that  had  alarmed  them  was  made  by 
the  fluttering  of  a  piece  of  loose  bark  (moved  by 


252  FOREST   GLEX  ;    OR, 

the  wind)  which  hung  by  one  end  to  a  log ;  and 
found  there  was  one  short  board  left  in  the  room, 
about  six  feet  long.  They  thought  there  might 
be  some  in  the  chamber  where  the  children  used 
to  sleep,  which  was  not  so  dark  as  the  rest  of  the 
house,  because  light  came  through  many  chinks  in 
the  roof. 

Sam  mounted  the  ladder  to  look  ;  but,  just  as  he 
got  his  head  above  the  level  of  the  floor,  he  heard 
a  great  scrambling,  and  something  went  swii'tly 
past  him.  He  either  leaped  or  tumbled  to  the 
floor  (he  never  knew  which)  ;  and  they  ran  home, 
resolving  never  again  to  go  to  that  place  in  the 
twilight. 

Early  next  morning  they  went  there  ;  and  it 
seemed  very  different  in  the  daytime.  They 
brought  their  guns  with  them ;  but  of  what  use 
they  supposed  fire-arms  would  be,  in  a  contest 
with  supernatural  foes,  is  not  readily  perceived: 
however,  they  felt  stronger  for  having  them. 

Archie  opened  the  shutters,  that  had  been  closed 
by  the  hands  of  Mrs.  McDonald  a  few  moments 
before  her  death,  and  the  sunlight  streamed  in. 
In  the  chamber  they  found  a  wide  board  twenty 
feet  long,  that  was  planed  on  one  side,  and  placed 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  253 

between  the  beds  for  the  children  to  step  on 
when  they  got  out  of  bed,  as  the  rest  of  the  floor 
was  laid  with  poles  that  were  rough  with  knots 
and  bark.  They  took  down  the  joist  in  the  room 
below :  these  had  been  sawed  out  with  the  whip- 
saw,  by  Mr.  Seth  and  his  brother,  when  they  put 
up  the  partition.  They  were  a  great  acquisition 
to  the  boys,  almost  as  much  as  the  boards;  for 
they  could  not  have  hewn  out  joist  accurately 
enough  to  frame  together. 

"  Mr.  McDonald  didn't  think,  when  he  got 
Uncle  Seth  to  make  this  partition,  a  meal-chest, 
and  milk-shelves  (what  nobody  else  in  the  Run 
has  got,  and  Mr.  Blanchard  himself  ain't  got), 
that  they  would  take  the  boards  to  make  coffins 
for  himself  and  his  folks ;  did  he,  Sammy  ?  " 

"  Don't  let's  talk  about  that  here." 

They  yoked  the  oxen,  hauled  their  stuff  to  the 
Cuthbert  house,  and  set  about  making  a  bench. 

"  How  high  and  wide  and  long  shall  we  make 
it  ?  "  said  Archie. 

"  Uncle  Seth  told  me  it  ought  to  be  about  as 
big  as  this  table." 

Cutting  their  joist,  they  halved  the  pieces  to- 
gether, and  made  the  frame  of  the  bench  with  a 


254  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

cross-sill  at  the  bottom  in  the  centre  to  receive  the 
end  of  the  spindle.  How  they  should  make  the 
spindle,  and  what  they  should  make  it  of,  was  the 
next  thing  to  be  considered. 

They  went  to  a  piece  of  land  that  had  been 
cleared,  and  the  timber  burnt,  but  had  not  been 
planted,  and  had  partially  grown  up  again,  where 
were  a  great  number  of  ash-sprouts,  that  grew 
luxuriantly  and  very  straight,  as  is  the  habit  of 
that  tree  ;  and  soon  found  one  to  answer  their 
purpose. 

Two  blocks,  one  much  larger  than  the  other, 
were  sawed  from  the  ends  of  logs,  —  one  for  a  pul- 
ley (wheel  the  boys  called  it),  and  the  other  for  a 
small  wheel  to  receive  the  clay  ;  and  a  hole  bored 
in  the  cross-sill  to  admit  the  lower  end  of  the 
spindle. 

Holes  were  bored,  and  a  square  mortise  cut  in 
the  centre  of  the  two  blocks,  and  the  spindle 
squared  near  the  lower  end,  and  the  pulley  fitted 
on  to  it.  The  top  of  the  spindle  was  also  squared 
for  the  other  block.  This  was  done  in  order  that 
neither  the  pulley  nor  the  wheel  might  turn  on 
the  spindle :  then  a  score  was  cut  in  the  edge  of 
the  pulley  to  receive  a  band.  The  frame  of  the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  255 

bench  was  now  boarded  on  top,  the  spindle  put 
in  its  place,  and  the  upper  wheel  put  on.  Their 
tools  were  few,  and  the  boys  without  practice  in 
using  them  ;  yet,  though  the  work  was  rough,  the 
bench  was  level,  and  the  spindle  plumb,  although 
made  of  an  ash-sprout,  the  bark  still  adhering  to 
portions  of  it.  The  pulley  and  clay  wheel  were 
also  true  circles,  as  they  struck  them  out  with 
Harry's  large  compasses,  and  cut  to  the  scratch. 

A  serious  consultation  was  now  held  in  respect 
to  the  manner  in  which  they  should  avail  them- 
selves of  the  flax-wheel. 

After  a  long  consideration,  arising  from  the  fact 
that  the  flax-wheel  was  not  theirs,  and  that  they 
could  do  nothing  to  unfit  it  for  future  use  in 
spinning,  Sammy  knocked  the  legs  out  carefully 
from  the  bench,  and  placed  the  latter  upon  its 
edge,  upon  the  floor,  with  the  wheel  and  posts 
attached,  and  at  a  proper  distance  from  the  spin- 
dle ;  then  put  under  the  posts  a  flattened  piece  of 
wood  just  thick  enough  to  bring  it  up  to  a  level, 
and  drove  into  it  two  pins  each  side  of  the  post 
to  keep  them  in  place,  and  short  enough  for  the 
wheel  to  play  over  them. 

Flat  stones  were  laid  against  the  other  end  of 


25G  FOItEST   GLEN;    OR, 

the  bench,  to  keep  it  from  moving  ;  a  band  passed 
round  both  the  flax-wheel  and  the  spindle,  and 
the  bearings  greased.  Some  method  must  now  be 
devised  to  turn  the  large  wheel ;  and  this  was  not 
an  easy  matter.  This  wheel  had  on  it  a  short 
crank,  to  which  (when  the  parts  of  the  machine 
were  all  in  place)  the  treadle  was  attached  ;  and 
on  this  crank  a  tang  half  an  inch  long,  with  a  but- 
ton on  the  end,  to  keep  the  treadle  from  slipping 
off.  This  affair,  especially  the  button,  was  much 
in  the  way  of  putting  any  thing  on  the  wheel  by 
which  to  turn  it,  and  was  not  large  enough  to 
be  made  useful  of  itself ;  for  it  could  only  be  held 
betwixt  the  finger  and  thumb,  it  was  so  very 
short. 

The  rim  of  this  wheel  was  three  inches  in 
depth,  and  there  were  sixteen  spokes  quite  near 
together.  Archie  proposed  boring  a  hole  in  this 
rim,  and  putting  a  pin  into  it ;  but  Sam  said  that 
•would  never  do,  because  it  would  injure  the  wheel, 
and  he  had  promised  Prudence  Holdness  he  would 
leave  it  as  good  as  he  found  it. 

lie  tried  to  fit  a  wooden  handle  to  the  tang  of 
the  crank,  but  the  button  on  the  end  prevented. 

These  boys,  it  is  true,  possessed  little  knowledge 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  257 

of  things  in  general :  yet  they  had  read  the  wood? 
pretty  thoroughly,  and  were  aware  that  the  roots 
of  the  alder,  hazel,  and  wild  cherry,  inclined  to 
run  for  some  distance  near  the  surface,  and  then 
throw  up  shoots  at  right  angles  with  the  root 
from  which  they  sprung. 

They  found  a  wild  cherry  nearly  two  inches  in 
diameter,  that  sprang  up  from  a  long  naked  root, 
cut  the  top  off  within  eighteen  inches  of  the 
ground,  and  then  dug  it  up.  They  now  cut  one 
arm  of  the  root  close  to  the  stem,  leaving  the 
other  a  foot  in  length,  flattened  the  under  side, 
placed  the  end  of  the  root  towards  the  hub  of  the 
wheel,  and  lashed  it  firmly  to  a  spoke.  This  was 
a  handle  by  which  to  turn  the  wheel,  and  did  not 
injure  it  in  the  least.  They  found,  by  getting  on 
their  knees  and  turning  the  flax-wheel,  the  spin- 
dle revolved  steadily  but  not  very  fast. 

"It  don't  go  so  fast  as  mother's  flax-wheel," 
said  Sam. 

"Not  a  quarter  so  fast  as  my  mother's  big 
wheel :  the  spindle  of  that'll  whirl  so  you  can't 
hardly  see  it,  when  she's  a  mind  to  make  it,"  said 
Archie. 

The  boys  now  sat  down  to  rest,  and  contemplate 
their  work  with  great  satisfaction. 


258  FOREST  GLEN;    OR, 

"Ain't  it  nice,  Archie?" 

"Yes;  and  we  made  it  our  own  selves,  didn't 
we?" 

There  is  an  important  principle  developed  in 
this  declaration  of  Archie.  They  had  learned 
much,  and  derived  a  great  deal  more  pleasure 
from  the  contemplation  of  that  rude  machine  that 
they  had  exerted  all  their  ingenuity  to  make,  than 
they  would  have  done  had  Uncle  Seth  made  a 
potter's  wheel,  and  given  it  to  them.  If  3-011  want 
to  bring  out  what  is  in  a  boy,  want  him  to  devel- 
op original  thought,  and  become  possessed  of  re- 
sources within  himself,  encourage  and  stimulate 
him  to  make  his  own  playthings.  How  many 
children  there  are  who  have  almost  every  thing 
given  them  that  a  toy-shop  can  furnish,  and  yet 
get  sick  of  their  novelties  when  they  have  looked 
them  over,  acquire  but  few  ideas  in  the  process, 
and  remain  children  during  life !  if  that  deserves 
the  name  of  life  which  is  useless  and  barren,  both 
in  respect  to  themselves  and  to  others. 

They  soon  tested  their  instrument  by  experi- 
ment. Taking  some  sand,  Sammy  strewed  it  over 
the  wheel,  and  put  a  lump  of  clay  on  it  while 
Archie  turned.  He  did  this  in  order  that  he 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  259 

might  be  able  to  get  the  vessel  off,  as  he  knew  the 
clay  would  stick  to  the  wood ;  but  when  he  put 
his  hands  on  the  clay  the  wheel  turned  round 
under  it,  and  the  clay  tumbled  to  the  floor.  Find- 
ing that  would  never  do,  he  swept  off  all  the  sand, 
and  flung  the  lump  down  hard  on  the  wood,  where 
it  stuck  fast  (as  Uncle  Seth  had  told  him  he  saw 
the  potters  do),  put  his  hands  on  each  side  of  the 
clay,  and  brought  it  up  to  a  sugar-loaf  form,  and 
then  pressed  it  down  to  break  the  air-bubbles, 
then  put  his  thumbs  into  the  middle  of  the  lump, 
arid  his  fingers  outside.  The  clay  instantly  as- 
sumed a  circular  form,  and  became  hollow. 

"  Oh,  oh !     It's  doing  it !  "  shouted  Sam. 

"  Doing  what  ?  "  cried  Archie,  who  on  his  knees 
could  not  see  what  was  going  on. 

"  It's  growing  hollow.  It's  making  a  pot.  Oh, 
it's  growing  thinner  and  thinner !  " 

Indeed  it  was ;  for  Sammy  not  only  stuck  his 
thumbs  into  the  lump,  but  kept  separating  his 
hands,  till,  the  walls  of  the  pot  growing  thinner 
and  thinner,  both  thumbs  broke  through,  and 
there  were  only  two  long,  wide  ribbons  of  clay, 
and  no  bottom ;  for  he  had  pressed  his  hands 
down  so  hard  as  to  scrape  through  to  the  wood. 


260  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

He  uttered  a  yell  of  dismay,  and  Archie  ran  to 
look. 

"  Only  see  there,"  said  Sam,  taking  up  part  of 
the  side  :  "  see  how  smooth  it  is !  I  couldn't  have 
made  it  so  smooth  the  way  I  did  before.  Oh,  if  it 
hadn't  bursted !  " 

"  What  made  it  do  so  ?  " 

"  Don't  know  :  guess  I  can  do  better  next  time." 

Next  time  he  succeeded  in  making  something 
hollow,  but  it  was  almost  as  big  at  the  top  as  at 
the  bottom  ;  the  sides  were  thick  in  one  place,  and 
thin  in  another :  but  the  boys  thought  it  was  nice 
till  they  tried  to  take  it  from  the  wheel,  when 
they  found  Sammy  had  poked  his  fingers  through 
the  bottom  to  the  wood. 

Archie  was  now  to  try  his  hand :  the  wheel  had 
made  but  a  few  revolutions  when  he  shouted,  — 

"Stop!" 

He  had  pressed  his  hands  so  close  together,  that 
at  the  top  there  was  a  cone  of  clay,  and  a  round 
lump  on  the  wheel,  without  the  sign  of  a  hollow. 
The  next  time  he  made  something  hollow;  but 
the  sides  were  so  thin  they  would  not  stand,  but 
tumbled  down  in  a  heap  as  soon  as  he  took  his 
hands  off. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  261 

Now  it  was  Sammy's  turn  again.  While  turn- 
ing the  wheel  for  Archie,  he  had  been  reflecting 
upon  the  causes  of  his  poor  success ;  and  this  time 
made  a  pot  that  was  all  right  at  the  bottom,  and 
of  a  proper  thickness,  only  rather  bulging  in  the 
middle.  They  were  greatly  delighted,  but,  in 
trying  to  take  it  from  the  wheel,  tore  it  in  pieces. 
Sammy  made  another  attempt,  and  met  with  still 
better  success.  They  dared  not  take  this  pot 
from  the  wheel,  yet  were  unwilling  to  ask  Uncle 
Seth,  or  let  him  know  any  thing  about  their  pro- 
ceedings till  they  had  made  more  progress. 

As  it  was  near  dinner-time,  they  concluded  to 
leave  it  on  the  wheel,  and  inquire  of  others,  sup- 
posing that  Mrs.  Honeywood,  Mrs.  Blanchard,  or 
Holt's  wife,  who  had  lived  in  the  old  settlements, 
might  tell  them  something ;  but  they  could  not. 

"  I  don't  believe  but  Scip  would  know  :  he  has 
lived  in  Baltimore,"  said  Mrs.  Blanchard. 

They  applied  to  Scip. 

"  De  potters  hab  leetle  piece  of  wire  wid  two 
sticks  on  it,  to  take  hold  on.  Dey  pull  dat 
through  'twixt  de  clay  and  de  wheel ;  den  dey 
take  it  off  wid  dere  han's,  if  leetle  ting :  if  big 
ting,  hab  two  sticks  ob  wood  put  each  side,  fay  to 


262  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

de  pot,  so  not  jam  it.  Me  show  you,  me  make 
you  one." 

The  boys  looked  at  each  other ;  for  there  was 
no  such  thing  as  a  piece  of  wire  within  a  hundred 
miles,  and  they  had  never  seen  any  save  the  prim- 
ing-wires that  were  with  some  of  the  smooth- 
bores. Scip  advised  them  to  try  a  hard-twisted 
string,  which  they  found  to  answer  the  pur- 
pose. 

Sammy  kept  on  improving ;  but  Archie  did  not, 
and  began  to  grow  tired  of  pottery.  It  was  hard 
work  to  turn  the  wheel :  he  perceived  that,  as  he 
could  make  no  further  progress  in  turning,  in  the 
natural  order  of  things,  Sammy  must  be  the  pot- 
ter, while  he  would  remain  wheel-boy. 

Sammy,  on  the  other  hand,  was  full  of  enthusi- 
asm, ever  improving.  He  could  now  tell  the 
thickness  of  his  pots  by  the  feeling,  and  made 
them  uniform  in  this  respect ;  was  all  the  time 
correcting  little  defects ;  and  learned  by  practice 
how  thick  the  sides  should  be  to  stand.  He  offered 
Archie  a  powder-horn  if  he  would  turn  all  the 
afternoon  ;  but  he  wouldn't  hear  a  word  of  it,  and 
said  his  hands  were  blistered,  and  the  skin  was 
worn  off  his  knees,  kneeling  on  the  hard  floor. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  263 

Sammy  offered  him  a  bullet  if  he  would  turn  long 
enough  for  him  to  make  three  more  pots.  Archie 
said  he  would  the  next  morning ;  and  here  the 
work  ended  for  the  day. 


264  FOREST   GLEN";    OR, 


CHAPTER  XX. 


SETH'S  SURPRISE. 

WHEX  this  new  and  exciting  employment 
came  thus  suddenly  to  a  full  stop  by  the 
refusal  of  Archie  to  turn  the  wheel  any  longer, 
the  latter  went  home  with  two  large  holes  in  the 
knees  of  his  trousers,  albeit  they  were  buckskin  : 
Sammy  went  over  to  Israel  Blanc-hard's. 

He  found  Scip  and  his  master  pulling  flax,  and 
instantly  took  hold  with  them.  Since  Sam  had 
become  so  industrious,  he  had  grown  into  great 
favor  with  Mr.  Blanc-hard,  who  believed  in  hard 
work  and  also  in  hard  fighting. 

It  appeared  in  the  sequel,  that  Sammy's  motives 

were  not  altogether  disinterested  in    thus  volun- 

teering to  help   his  neighbor;   for,  after  working 

.'.y  till  night,  he  asked  Mr.  Blanc-hard  if  he 

might  have  Scip  to  help  him  the  next  afternoon. 

-  Yes,  my  little  potter  :  I  suppose  you  want  him 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  265 

to  work  clay  for  YOU  ;  but  it  seems  to  me  you  use 
up  clay  fast."' 

Sammy  didn't  tell  him  \vhat  he  wanted  of  Scip. 
The  next  morning  Archie  came,  true  to  his  word ; 
and  they  began  to  work. 

Mr.  Seth  found,  when  he  had  finished  his  work 
upon  the  bail,  that  he  had  about  worn  up  his  mal- 
let with  so  much  mortising  in  the  tough  wood ; 
and  recollecting  that,  some  months  before,  he  had 
seen  a  stick  of  hornbeam  about  the  right  size  on 
the  woodpile  at  the  old  Cuthbert  house,  took  a 
saw  in  his  hand,  and  went  oyer  to  get  a  piece. 
Hearing  the  boys  at  work  inside,  he  crept  up,  and 
peeped  through  a  crevice  in  the  logs. 

Archie  was  on  his  knees  on  the  floor,  tugging 
with  his  right  hand  at  the  wheel,  while  his  left 
was  leaning  on  a  stone  placed  for  that  purpose ; 
and  Sammy  was  making  a  pot.  Equally  surprised 
and  delighted,  he  looked  on  a  while  in  silence ; 
and,  as  he  could  not  obtain  a  good  view  of  Sam 
where  he  stood,  he  went  to  the  window  that  was 
open.  Archie's  back  was  towards  him,  and  Sam 
was  too  intent  upon  his  work  to  notice  him. 

The  kindly  nature  of  the  old  mechanic  was 
stirred  to  the  quick  when  he  saw  Sam  actually 


206  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

turn  a  pot  of  good  shape  with  such  machinery  as 
that;  and  he  vowed  internally  that  he  would  make 
him  a  potter's  wheel  before  the  lad  was  a  week 
older,  but,  upon  reflection,  concluded  it  would  be 
better  to  help  him  a  little,  and  not  too  much  at 
once. 

"  So  you've  made  a  wheel  for  yourselves,  have 
you  ? "  said  Uncle  Seth,  showing  himself  at  the 
window. 

The  wheel  stopped.  Archie  jumped  up:  Sam 
colored,  his  face  as  red  as  red  paint. 

"  Don't  be  bashful,"  said  Uncle  Seth,  getting  in 
at  the  window.  "  I  think  you've  done  first  rate, 
most  remarkable  :  that  pot's  as  good  as  a  pot  need 
be." 

"  We  was  afraid  you'd  laugh  at  us,  Uncle  Seth , 
and  so  we  didn't  like  to  tell  you." 

"  Laugh  at  you !  I  praise  you :  you've  done  won- 
derful. Now  let  me  see  you  make  a  pot." 

Sammy  had  turned  one  pot,  and,  drawing  a 
string  under  it,  took  it  from  the  wheel  with  his 
hands  ;  in  so  doing,  he  put  it  a  little  out  of  form, 
but  repaired  it  by  pressing  it  into  shape  again 
with  his  fingers. 

Sammy  turned  two  more  pots,  each  one  being 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FKIENDSHIP.  267 

an  improvement  on  the  former  one  ;  being  put  on 
his  mettle  by  the  praises  of  Uncle  Seth. 

He  then  told  him  that  Archie's  contract  was 
completed,  but  that  Scip  was  going  to  help  him 
in  the  afternoon. 

"  What  made  you  put  your  large  wheel  flat  on 
the  floor  ?  why  didn't  you  set  it  on  the  legs  ?  " 

"  'Cause  it  wouldn't  go  so  :  the  band  would  slip 
right  off  the  little  wheel." 

"  Cross  the  band,  then  it  won't." 

"Cross  the  band!  " 

This  was  a  step  farther  than  Sammy's  knowl- 
edge of  machinery  extended. 

Uncle  Seth  took  the  wheel  from  the  floor,  put 
the  legs  in  again,  crossed  the  band,  and  put  it  on 
the  wheel. 

"  Now  you  can  stand  up,  and  turn  :  put  some 
clay  on  the  wheel,  and  I'll  turn  for  you." 

Uncle  Seth  turned,  and  Sam  made  another  pot. 

The  boys  could  hardly  contain  themselves,  they 
were  so  delighted. 

"  How  much  you  do  know,  Uncle  Seth !  "  said 
Archie  :  "we  don't  know  any  thing." 

"  You  haven't  been  learning  so  long  as  I  have. 
I  want  you  to  pay  attention,  and  I'll  explain  some- 


268  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

thing  to  you.  You  see  this  spindle  don't  turn 
vt'i-y  last,  —  not  near  as  fast  as  the  spindle  on  your 
mothers'  flax-wheels ;  and  yet  this  large  wheel  is 
exactly  the  same  kind  of  a  wheel.  What  do  you 
suppose  is  the  reason  ?  " 

"  We  don't  know,"  said  Archie. 

"  If  that  pulley,  Sammy,  that  is  on  the  spindle 
(little  wheel  you  call  it),  was  just  as  large  as  the 
flax-wheel,  and  you  should  turn  that,  the  other 
would  turn  just  as  fast, —  just  as  many  times, — 
wouldn't  it  ?  " 

"  Yes,  sir  :  of  course  it  would  if  they  were  both 
of  just  the  same  bigness." 

"  Well,  then,  if  you  should  make  the  flax-wheel 
as  big  again  as  the  pulley,  the  pulley  would  turn 
twice  when  the  flax-wheel  turned  once :  wouldn't 
it?" 

"  Yes,  sir." 

"  Thus  you  see  the  reason  that  spindle  doesn't 
turn  any  faster  is  because  the  two  wheels  are  so 
near  of  a  bigness.  That  pulley  is  so  near  the  size 
of  the  other  wheel,  that  it  don't  turn  but  three  or 
four  times  while  the  large  one  is  turning  once. 
The  large  wheel  is  not  more  than  thirty  inches, 
and  the  pulley  is  large  seven.  Don't  you  know 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  269 

how  fast  your  mother's  spindle  on  her  large  wheel 
whirls?" 

"  Yes,  sir.  It  goes  so  sometimes  you  can  hardly 
see  it." 

"  Good  reason  for  it.  The  wheel  is  forty-eight 
inches  in  diameter,  and  the  pulley  on  the  spindle 
is  only  about  an  inch.  What  do  you  think  of 
that,  my  boy?  —  forty-eight  inches  to  one  inch; 
the  spindle  turning  forty-eight  times  while  the 
large  wheel  turns  once." 

"  We  didn't  know.  All  we  knowed  was,  you 
said  they  had  a  big  wheel  and  a  little  one  on  the 
spindle." 

Mr.  Seth  took  the  pulley  from  the  spindle,  cut 
it  down  more  than  one-half,  and  put  it  higher  up 
on  the  spindle. 

"  There,  my  lads,  I  have  made  that  pulley 
smaller ;  and  your  spindle  will  turn  so  much 
faster  that  you  can  make  three  pots  where  you 
made  one  afore  :  besides,  now  that  the  large  wheel 
is  upright,  you  can  turn  it  as  fast  again,  and  much 
easier  than  you  could  when  'twas  lying  on  the 
floor." 

Mr.  Seth  now  put  a  stone  on  the  bench  near 
the  wheel  on  which  the  vessels  were  turned,  aud 


270  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

put  a  junk  of  clay  on  it :  through  the  top  of  this 
clay  he  ran  a  stick,  passing  it  back  and  forth  in 
the  hole  till  it  would  move  easily,  and  be  held 
firm  in  place  when  the  clay  became  dry.  He  then 
said  to  Sammy,  — 

"  There's  a  gauge  for  you.  Run  that  stick  over 
the  wheel,  and  draw  it  back  just  in  proportion  to 
the  size  of  the  pot  you  want  to  make.  If  you 
bring  the  edge  of  the  pot  to  the  end  of  that,  it 
will  regulate  the  size." 

It  was  a  rude  affair,  made  in  a  moment ;  and 
yet  it  answered  the  purpose  perfectly.  Mr.  Seth 
also  made  some  half-circles  of  wood,  with  handles, 
and  a  dowel  in  one  of  the  halves  to  fit  into  a 
corresponding  hole  in  the  other  half.  These  were 
placed  on  each  side  of  the  vessel,  bearing  equally 
all  round,  and  cut  to  the  shape  of  the  side.  With 
them  he  could  easily  take  his  ware  from  the  wheel 
without  marring  it.  Sammy  had  already  found 
that  he  could  smooth  the  sides  of  his  pots  by. 
applying  the  edge  of  the  profile  to  them. 

Still,  after  these  improvements,  the  wheel  was 
a  poor  affair.  There  was  not  sufficient  power 
to  turn  a  pot  of  any  size,  and  the  band  was  apt  to 
slip ;  and  the  spindle,  running  wood  to  wood, 
inemi.:  «••!  the  friction. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  271 

Mr.  Seth,  convinced  that  the  pottery  business 
was  not  a  mere  boy's  affair  with  Sammy,  resolved 
that  at  the  first  opportunity  he  would  make  him 
a  far  better  machine  than  that.  Without  saying 
any  thing  to  Sammy,  he  took  the  measure  of  the 
bench,  that  answered  the  purpose  well,  and  left 
him  to  knead  clay,  and  make  preparation  for  the 
arrival  of  Scip  in  the  afternoon. 

Perhaps  our  readers  will  wonder  where  the 
other  boys  were  all  this  time,  that  they  took  no 
interest  in  the  proceedings. 

Well,  their  parents  had  work  for  them  to  do 
at  home  ;  and  every  leisure  moment  was  taken  up 
in  building  a  turkey-pen,  or  trap  to  catch  wild 
turkeys  in,  as  the  time  was  approaching  when  it 
would  be  wanted. 

Thus  occupied,  they  were  ignorant  of  the 
doings  of  Sammy  and  Archie  ;  but  it  was  soon 
noised  abroad,  and  the  old  house  filled  with  curi- 
ous boys,  who  all  wanted  to  try  their  hands 
at  turning  a  pot.  After  experimenting  a  while, 
and  meeting  with  about  as  much  success  as 
Archie,  they  preferred  play,  or  even  work.  Archie 
also,  after  the  excitement  of  making  the  wheel 
was  over,  lost  his  interest ;  and  Sammy,  much  to 


272  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

his  satisfaction,  was  left  to  work  in  peace,  aided 
by  Scip.  He  also  had  aid  from  another  sourer  ; 
for,  after  the  improvement  made  by  Mr.  Seth  in 
setting  the  wheel  upright,  the  girls  would  turn 
for  him,  and  sometimes  also  his  mother ;  and,  as 
he  could  not  make  large  pots  on  the  wheel,  he 
made  pitchers  and  mugs  for  the  girls,  bowls  and 
platters ;  and  by  practice  he  became  expert  in 
putting  handles  to  his  mugs  and  pitchers.  When 
desirous  of  making  a  large  pot  to  hang  on  the  fire, 
or  for  any  other  purpose,  he  resorted  to  his  old 
method  of  rolling  the  clay,  and  also  when  he 
could  get  no  one  to  turn  for  him. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  273 


CHAPTER   XXI. 

NED    BANGELY. 

IT  was  now  time  to  gather  the  corn.  Sammy 
was  obliged  to  suspend  his  operations,  and 
the  entire  community  were  busily  employed  in 
harvesting  and  husking.  The  ears  were  picked 
off  and  husked  in  the  field,  and  the  sound  corn 
put  in  log  cribs  inside  the  fort. 

A  strong  scout  was  sent  out,  boys  placed  back 
to  back  on  stumps  to  watch  while  the  rest  were  at 
work.  Every  nerve  was  strained  to  place  their 
bread-corn  out  of  the  reach  of  the  savages;  for, 
this  being  accomplished,  their  anxieties  in  respect 
to  food  would  cease. 

The  corn-crop  and  all  their  crops  were  late  sown 
and  planted,  by  reason  of  Indian  alarms,  and  be- 
cause in  the  spring  they  were  occupied  in  build- 
ing the  mill. 

The  last  basketful  had  been  placed  on  the  sled; 


274  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

and  Honeywood  took  up  his  goad  to  start  the 
oxen,  when  Mrs.  Sumerford  exclaimed,  "  Who's 
that?  I  saw  a  man,  I  know  I  did,  come  from 
behind  the  big  rock,  cross  the  ford  and  the  little 
clear  spot  between  there  and  the  woods ;  and  I 
think  he  had  a  rifle  on  his  shoulder." 

All  now  stood  on  their  guard,  rifle  in  hand. 

"  It  ain't  an  Indian,  that's  sartain,"  said  Hold- 
ness:  uan  Indian  wouldn't  be  walking  about  in 
plain  sight,  with  a  rifle  on  his  shoulder." 

"  Who  else  can  it  be  ?  We  haven't  seen  a  white 
face  for  months.  I  think  we'd  better  run  for  the 
garrison,"  said  Mrs.  Blanchard. 

"  I  see  him,"  said  McClure.  "  It's  a  white  man, 
but  none  of  our  folks :  he's  got  a  pack  and  a  rifle. 
It's  some  ranger  who  has  lost  his  way." 

Every  eye  was  now  eagerly  fastened  on  the 
stranger,  who  travelled  slowly  as  though  fatigued. 

"It's  Ned  Rangely,  Brad,"  shouted  McClure, 
"assure  as  the  sun  is  in  the  heavens:  it's  Ned, 
who  hunted  and  trapped  with  us  so  many  winters 
at  Red  Stone,  and  has  been  in  more  Indian  fights 
than  any  man  on  the  frontier.  Don't  you  see  how 
he  carries  that  left  arm:  that  was  broke  by  an 
Indian  bullet  ?  " 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  275 

"  I  believe  you're  right,  neighbor." 

"  Right  ?  I  know  I  am  :  I  could  tell  him  among 
a  thousand." 

They  both  started  towards  the  stranger,  who 
stopped,  and  stood  leaning  on  his  rifle,  evidently 
fatigued. 

"  God  bless  you,  Ned  Rangely !  Is  that  your- 
self?" cried  Holdness,  seizing  one  hand,  while 
McClure  laid  his  hand  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  How  are  you,  old  stand-by  ?  "  cried  McClure. 
"  It  does  a  man  good,  these  ticklish  times,  to  look 
on  your  old  face.  Haven't  you  come  in  a  good 
time  ?  We've  plenty  to  eat,  nothing  to  do  ;  and 
you've  got  to  stay  here  with  us  all  the  rest  of 
your  life." 

"Wish  I  could;  but  the  fact  is,  we  came  on 
business,  and  must  do  it  and  be  off." 

"Not  a  word  of  business  till  morning,"  said 
McClure,  clapping  his  hand  on  Rangely 's  mouth: 
"  come,  go  home  with  me." 

"  Let  him  go  with  me  to-night,"  said  Holdness, 
because  he's  tired  and  foot-sore,  and  you  can  come 
with  him :  and  he  can  go  to  your  house  to- 
morrow.'' 

To  this  McClure  assented.     One  taking  Range- 


276  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

ly's  rifle,  and  the  other  his  pack,  they  marched  off, 
leaving  the  rest  to  get  in  the  corn. 

Holdness  did  not  lack  for  company  that  evening ; 
all  the  young  people  coming  in  to  listen  to  the 
talk  of  these  old  comrades,  Rangely's  in  particular, 
whose  whole  life  had  been  a  scene  of  perils  and 
hair-breadth  escapes. 

The  next  day  was  a  leisure  one,  the  harvest 
being  secured.  Holdness  and  Rangely  strolled 
over  to  McClure's :  soon  Honeywood  dropped  in, 
Maccoy,  Stewart,  Ned  Armstrong,  Harry  Sumer- 
ford,  Andrew  McClure,  and  others  of  the  young 
men. 

"  Now,  Ned,"  said  Holdness,  "  there's  a  number 
of  us  here :  we'll  listen  to  your  business,  whatever 
'tis.  We've  no  separate  interests,  but  are  like  so 
many  peas  in  one  pod,  that  all  touch,  and  there's 
no  parting  'twixt  'em." 

Rangely  looked  round  upon  this  noble  group  of 
stalwart  men  and  youth  with  evident  delight  as 
he  said,  — 

"  Well,  neighbors,  I  was  sent  here  by  those  who 
pretend  to  know  more'n  I  do,  to  raise  men  for  a 
skirmagc  with  these  Delawares,  Monseys,  Shawa- 
nees,  and  what  not  red  trash,  that  are  whooping 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  277 

round,  and  scalping  women  and  children.  They 
want  to  raise  three  or  four  hundred  men,  and  just 
wipe  'em  out.  They  want  men  that  can  shoot  and 
march,  and  know  how  to  fight  Indians  in  the  woods,- 
and  they  don't  want  nothing  else.  So  you  see, 
'cause  they  knowed  I  was  acquainted,  they  sent  me 
up  here." 

"We're  much  obliged  to  'em,"  said  Holdness. 
"  Didn't  think  the  rest  of  the  world  knew  we  was 
in  it,  or  cared  whether  we  lived  or  died.  Don't 
s'pose  they  did,  till  they  happened  to  want  to 
make  use  on  us.  It  strikes  me,  Ned,  they  sent 
you  on  a  fool's  errand." 

"  I'm  pretty  much  of  the  same  opinion  with 
Brad,"  said  McClure,  —  "that  we've  got  about 
enough  to  do  to  take  care  of  ourselves  and  them 
what  look  to  us.  Here  we've  stood  in  death's 
door,  as  you  may  say,  ever  since  the  war  began. 
There  isn't  a  man,  scarcely  a  boy,  not  to  say  chil- 
dren, what  hasn't  a  scar  on  him ;  and  some  of  us 
are  pretty  much  cut  to  pieces.  There's  about  as 
many  of  us  under  the  sod,  killed  by  Indians,'  as 
there  are  above  it.  And  now  you  ask  us  to  leave 
our  families,  forts,  and  guns,  and  go  to  fight  for 
people  who  wouldn't  lift  a  finger  to  help  us,  and 


278  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

wouldn't  have  let  us  have  cannon  nor  powder  if 
they  could  have  helped  it." 

"  As  for  me,"  said  Armstrong,  "  I'm  not  going 
into  them  woods  to  throw  away  my  life,  and  be 
ambushed  by  Indians,  at  the  tail  of  these  turkey- 
cocks  like  Braddock,  who  don't  know  the  first 
thing  of  the  duty  they  are  sent  to  perform,  and 
are  «fit  only  to  lead  men  to  death  and  destruc- 
tion." 

"  Don't  think  we  cast  any  reflection  upon  you, 
Ned,"  said  Holdness,  "  for  doing  the  errand ;  but 
you  see  how  the  neighbors  feel  about  it." 

"  I've  no  doubt  what  you  say  is  all  true,"  replied 
Rangely,  —  "  true  as  the  Bible,  and  they  say  that's 
just  so.  But,  you  see,  these  Indians  get  together 
in  their  towns,  three  or  four  hundred  of  them : 
there  they  keep  their  women,  children,  and  ammu- 
nition the  French  give  'em,  lay  out  their  plans, 
and  divide  their  scalping-parties  to  go  to  those 
places  they  think  most  exposed.  When  they  have 
struck  their  blow,  they  go  back  with  their  scalps 
and  prisoners  to  have  a  great  dance  and  jollifica- 
tion, and  get  ready  for  another  raid ,  and  the 
whites  that  are  left  flee  into  the  older  settlements, 
and  leave  the  country  to  them.  They  don't  kere 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  279 

any  thing  'bout  the  forts:  they're  a  good  ways 
apart,  and  they  can  pass  'em  night  or  day." 

"  That's  so,''  said  Maccoy. 

"  What  they  want  is  to  have  the  Province  raise 
a  force  of  men  what  know  the  woods,  and  have 
had  experience  in  fighting  Indians,  —  not  a  blasted 
red-coat  among  'em,  —  and  carry  the  war  into  the 
Indian  country  up  to  their  towns,  clean  'em  out, 
kill  their  women  and  children,  burn  up  their  pos- 
sessions and  forts  now  just  as  winter  comes  on : 
that'll  quail  'em  to  some  purpose.  I  reckon,"  said 
Ned,  looking  round  him.  "  I've  come  to  the  right 
place  for  that  sort  of  men :  think  I've  seen  some 
of  'em  afore  to-day,  and  when  the  bullets  were  fly- 
ing lively." 

"  But,"  said  Stewart,  "  an'  we  tak'  the  gait  you 
propose,  what  will  hinder  the  scalping-parties  you 
speak  of  from  falling  upon  our  families  while 
we're  awa'  ?  " 

"  You  have  a  very  strong  fort  here,  have  taught 
the  Indians  some  hard  lessons,  and,  after  this  last 
mauling,  they  won't  be  in  a  hurry  to  meddle  with 
you.  You  can  leave  enough  to  defend  the  fort, 
and  then  spare  quite  a  number.  It's  for  you,  not 
for  me,  to  judge  whether  by  going  on  this  expedi- 


280  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

tion  you  won't  be  taking  the  best  method  to  break 
the  power  of  the  Indians,  and  protect  yourselves 
for  the  time  to  come." 

Thus  far  the  debate  had  been  carried  on  chief- 
ly by  McClure,  Holdness,  and  Armstrong.  Israel 
Blanchard  was  not  present;  and  the  young  men, 
though  eager  for  any  thing  that  promised  a  fight 
with  Indians,  were  too  modest  to  obtrude  their 
views ;  while  Honeywood  had  not  opened  his  mouth. 
Noticing  this,  McClure  said,  — 

"  I  should  like  to  have  Mr.  Honey  wood's  mind 
on  this  matter." 

"  I,"  said  Honeyw'ood,  "  would  inquire,  in  the 
first  place,  who  is  to  command  this  force  it  is  pro- 
posed to  raise  ?  " 

"  Sure  enough  !  We've  been  beating  all  about 
the  bush ;  and  Ned,  as  he  allers  does,  has  hit  the 
nail  right  on  the  head,"  said  Holdness. 

"  Who  is  to  command  it  ?  Kernel  Armstrong," 
replied  Rangely. 

"  I  wat  weel  that  makes  an  unco  difference,  sae 
much  that  it  becomes  us  to  gie  the  matter  special 
consideration,"  said  Stewart. 

"  Indeed  it  makes  a  difference,"  said  Holdness. 

"  I  know  Kernel  Armstrong  right  well.     I've 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  281 

fought  with  him,  and  fought  under  him :  so  has 
Hugh  Crawford  who's  dead  and  gone,  and  Harry's 
father." 

"  I  think,"  said  Honeywood,  "  there's  much 
truth  in  what  Mr.  Rangely  has  said,  —  that  by 
joining  this  expedition  we  take  the  best  method  to 
defend  ourselves,  and  break  the  Indian  power.  If 
instead  of  building  all  these  forts,  and  manning 
them  with  soldiers  half  of  whom  will  run  at  the 
sight  of  an  Indian,  the  same  money  had  been 
spent  in  getting  together  a  force  of  frontier-men 
led  by  a  suitable  person  to  do  what  is  now  on  foot, 
a  great  portion  of  this  terrible  slaughter  and 
destruction  of  property  would  have  been  saved. 
One-half  the  money  would  have  done  it." 

"  I'd  'a'  taken  the  job  for  that,"  said  McClure, 
"  and  found  the  men." 

"  One  great  reason  why  the  Indians  so  much 
dread  the  Black  Rifle  is,  he  pursues  the  same 
course  in  respect  to  them  that  they  do  towards 
the  whites ;  and  they  can  never  be  sure  that  he 
is  not  lurking  round  their  wigwams.  A  whole 
British  army  wouldn't  make  the  impression  upon 
them  that  he  has.  One  thing's  very  certain  :  if 
the  Province  is  going  to  wait  for  the  king  and 


282  FOREST   GLEN;   OR, 

council  to  send  an  army  over  here,  the  chiefs  of 
the  Six  Nations  won't  be  able  to  hold  their  young 
men  ;  but  they  will  join  the  French,  and  drive  us 
to  the  coast.  The  garrison  is  now  in  excellent 
condition  :  the  harvest  is  secured  ;  there  is  am  mil' 
nition  and  provision ;  and  I  think  we  might  spare 
some  men,  and  leave  enough  to  defend  the  fort." 

"  We'll  defend  the  fort,"  cried  Sam  Sumerford, 
unable  to  contain  himself :  "  the  Screeching  Cata- 
mounts'll  defend  the  fort ;  we've  done  it  one 
time." 

"  Well  crowed,  my  young  cock  of  the  walk," 
said  Rangely,  patting  him  on  the  head :  "  you'll 
be  wanted." 

"  I,"  continued  Honeywood,  "  am  read}*  to  vol- 
unteer on  condition  that  the  force  is  made  up  of 
men  that  are  used  to  the  woods,  and  that  they  are 
commanded  by  Col.  Armstrong  and  such  other 
officers  as  he  selects :  if  I  get  there,  and  find  it 
otherwise,  I  shall  shoulder  my  rifle  and  come  home 
again." 

"  I'll  go,"  said  Harry  Sumerford. 

"  I'll  go,"  said  Ned  Armstrong. 

"  And  I,"  said  Nat  Cuthbert. 

"  We'll  all  go,"  said  Andrew  McClure  ;  "  we'll 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  283 

follow  Harry  :  where  he  goes  we'll  go,  —  that  is,  if 
the  old  folks  think  best." 

"I'll  go,"  said  Hugh  Crawford,  "if  it's  thought 
best." 

By  this  time  the  news  had  spread.  Israel 
Blanchard,  Wood,  and  Holt  came  in,  and,  after 
hearing  what  had  been  said  and  done,  approved 
heartily  of  the  proceedings. 

"  Ain't  you  and  McClure  goin',  Brad  ?  "  asked 
Rangely. 

"  We  ain't  often  behind,  Ned,  when  bullets  are 
flying ;  and  sha'n't  be  now,  I  reckon." 

Holdness,  perceiving  by  the  looks  of  Harry 
Sumerford  that  he  had  something  he  would  like 
to  say,  remarked,  — 

"  Harry,  I  see  you've  somewhat  on  your  mind : 
what  is  it  ?  " 

"  I  think,  Mr.  Holdness,  there  are  people  here 
whose  judgment  is  worth  a  great  deal  more  than 
mine." 

"  The  more  minds,  the  better :  I  want  to  hear 
it,"  said  Blanchard. 

"  I've  been  thinking  whether  the  Black  Rifle 
wouldn't  go.  There  are  always  fifteen  or  twenty 
men  that'll  follow  him  anywhere  ;  and  they  are 


284  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

just  the  men  we  want.  He  offered  to  go  with 
Braddock,  but  the  old  goat  wouldn't  have  him." 

"  Don't  think  'twould  work,"  said  Holdness. 
"  Kernel  Armstrong's  a  man  who  knows  his  busi- 
ness, and  would  kalkerlate  ter  be  obeyed.  The 
Black  Rifle's  better  kalkerlated  ter  lead  than  ter 
foller  anybody  ;  and  his  men  likewise  had  ruther 
go  with  him,  and  nobody  else.  He  kills-  Indians 
for  the  sake  of  killin'  'em  :  peace  or  war,  it's  all 
the  same  ter  him.  They  go  for  the  sake  of  the 
scalps ;  and  they  know  very  well  that  they  can 
take  more  scalps  going  with  him  in  one  week, 
than  with  a  regular  force  in  a  month ;  and  make 
ten  dollars  where  they  wouldn't  make  one." 

"  That's  so,"  said  McClure  :  "  Brad's  got  the 
right  of  it." 

"  There's  one  thing  though,"  said  Holdness : 
"  I  believe  he  thinks  more  of  me  than  any 
other  being,  and  loves  me  as  well  as  he  can 
love  anybody  since  his  great  sorrow  crushed  his 
heart,  and  tore  him  all  ter  pieces ;  and  I've  not 
much  doubt  but  if  I  go  and  see  him,  tell  him 
what's  on  foot,  and  that  we  want  ter  do  all  we  kin 
for  the  country,  and  have  got  to  leave  this  fort 
with  a  small  garrison,  that  he  would  agree  to  camp 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  285 

here  in  the  Run;  and  look  out  for  us ;  and,  if  he 
agrees  ter  do  it,  he's  just  as  true  as  steel.  And 
though  I  don't  think  there's  much  danger,  yet,  if 
he  would  agree  to  camp  round  here,  I  for  one 
should  go  awa}r  easy ;  and  'twould  be  a  great  com- 
fort to  the  women-folks.  Perhaps  he'd  let  us  have 
some  powder  and  lead :  he  allers  has  a  stock. 

"  Well,  Ned,"  said  McClure,  "  I  s'pose  you  want 
to  have  an  answer ;  and  you  may  tell  Armstrong 
that  we'll  furnish  twelve  or  fifteen  men,  and  be  at 
the  place  appointed  at  the  time  set ;  and  you  kin 
tell  him  they'll  be  men  too,  —  men  that  kin  shoot 
ter  a  hair's  breadth,  brought  up  ter  fightin'  In- 
dians, and  won't  tremble  in  their  shoes  at  the 
sound  of  the  war-whoop." 

"  I'll  just  tell  him,"  said  Rangely,  "  that  Brad 
Holdness  and  Sandie  McClure  are  among  them, 
and  they  are  a  sample  of  the  rest." 

"  Tell  him  they  know  their  worth ;  won't  foller 
any  turkey-cock  of  a  red-coat  they  may  send 
across  the  water ;  and  after  they  get  there,  if  they 
find  they've  been  deceived,  they'll  shoulder  their 
rifles  and  go  back." 

"  Ye'll  please  to  remember  that  last  observation, 
Maister  Rangely,"  said  Stewart,  ".seeing  it's  o' 


286  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

muckle  weight ;  for  I  opine  that  Black  Douglas 
himsel',  with  his  two  hundred  claymore,  arid  lance 
like  a  weaver's  beam,  would  hae  been  of  sma' 
account  in  the  woods  wi'  savages." 

The  next  question  to  be  decided  was,  who 
should  go  and  who  remain.  The  young  men  all 
wanted  to  go,  of  course,  and  were  burning  to 
distinguish  themselves  before  the  Province,  for 
which  as  yet  they  had  had  no  opportunity ;  but, 
on  the  other  hand,  the  older  people  were  equally 
anxious,  and  even  more  so.  Both  Stewart  and 
Israel  Blanchard,  who  had  heretofore  remained  at 
home,  —  not,  indeed,  for  the  same  reason  as  the 
young  men,  seeing  they  had  established  their  repu- 
tation for  conduct  and  courage,  and  outgrown 
the  enthusiasm  of  youth,  —  desired  now  to  go,  as 
they  saw  in  this  movement  (the  choice  of  the 
commander,  and  quality  of  men  sought  for)  an 
opportunity  to  strike  an  effectual  blow  at  their 
implacable  foes,  and  to  procure  safety  for  them- 
selves in  the  future ;  and  with  most  of  them  the 
desire  of  revenge  entered  largely  into  the  account. 

This  explains  the  indifference  and  even  con- 
tempt with  which  the  proposition  of  Rangely  was 
at  first  met  by  men  still  smarting  under  the  recol- 


TH;:  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  287 

lections  connected  with  Braddock's  defeat;  and 
likewise  the  sudden  change  in  their  opinions, 
when,  in  reply  to  Honeywood's  question,  Rangely 
gave  the  name  of  a  leader  well  known  and  trust- 
ed, —  a  man  who  had  grown  up  among  the  perils 
of  the  frontier. 

"  It  seems  to  me,  neighbors,"  said  Israel  Blanch- 
ard,  "that  Mr.  Holdness  had  better  go  and  see 
what  he  can  do  with  the  Black  Rifle  before  we 
attempt  to  pick  out  the  men  ;  because  it  will  make 
a  vast  difference  in  respect  to  who  and  how  many 
we  are  to  leave  in  garrison,  whether  the  Black 
Rifle  will  agree  to  help  us  or  not." 

The  next  morning  Holdness  and  Rangely, 
whose  paths  for  some  distance  were  the  same, 
started ;  one  to  return  to  his  commanding  officer, 
the  other  to  meet  the  Black  Rifle. 

Holdness  found  that  restless  being  busily  en- 
gaged making  a  canoe  (from  bark  he  had  peeled 
in  the  spring)  for  a  fall  hunt.  He  welcomed 
Holdness  with  great  cordiality ;  who,  laying  aside 
his  pack  and  rifle,  instantly  set  at  work  helping 
him  (much  to  the  gratification  of  the  captain,  as 
it  is  quite  inconvenient  for  one  person  to  build  a 
birch  alone),  mentioning  never  a  word  about  the 


288  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

business  on  which  he  came,  and  accepting  the 
invitation  of  his  old  comrade  to  spend  the  night. 
While  they  were  eating  supper  the  Black  Rifle 
said,  — 

"  Brad,  I'm  right  glad  to  see  you,  but  I  don't 
believe  you  came  here  just  to  help  me  build  this 
birch :  so,  whatever  your  business  is,  out  with  it, 
and  we'll  talk  it  over  to-night  afore  the  camp- 
fire." 

Holdness  laid  the  whole  matter  before  this  vet- 
eran leader,  and  asked  what  he  thought  of  the 
plan. 

"  I  think  well  of  the  thing :  it's  what  should 
have  been  done  at  the  first.  I  see  what  you're 
after :  you  want  to  put  all  the  strength  you've  got 
into  this  thing,  'cause  you  think  it's  a  move  in  the 
rig] it  direction,  and  the  first  one,  too,  after  so  long 
a  time;  and  you  Wolf  Run  folks  are  just  the 
chaps  who  can  do  it.  But  you're  consarned  about 
your  families  while  you're  gone;  and  that  ties 
your  hands." 

"  Just  so,  and  that's  all  the  difficulty." 

"  Well  now,  Brad,  you're  come  in  a  good  time. 
You  see,  it's  kind  of  a  slack  time  with  me :  we've 
been  on  a  rampage  arter  Indian  scalps,  and  we've 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  289 

got  'em  too.  Some  of  my  men  have  been  wounded, 
though  not  very  bad,  and  some  have  gone  home 
to  get  in  their  harvest ;  and  when  it  gets  a  little 
later,  the  wounded  get  well,  and  the  rest  ready, 
we're  goin'  to  start  out  on  a  fall  and  winter  hunt 
and  scalping-scrape  both ;  that  is,  we're  goin'  on 
to  the  hunting-grounds  of  the  Delawares,  and  of 
course  they'll  object.  So,  you  see,  I'm  building 
this  birch,  and  am  going  to  fill  snow-shoes,  make 
moccasons,  and  get  ready ;  and  have  got  to  dress 
some  skins  to  make  the  moccasons  of,  and  a  good 
deal  to  do.  But  I  kin  just  as  well  do  these  things 
at  your  place  as  here,  and  I  will ;  and,  just  as  fast 
as  any  of  'em  get  through  their  work,  they'll  come. 
I  s'pose  you've  got  room  and  provision  enough  in 
the  fort  for  'em  :  you  know  I  allers  live  outside. 
I've  got  some  iron ;  and  your  Mr.  Honey  wood  can 
mend  my  traps  afore  he  goes,  and  mend  some  gun- 
locks  for  me." 

"Sartainly,  and  bring  all  the  wounded:  our 
women-folks'll  take  kere  of  'em.  Mrs.  Sumerford 
can't  be  beat  for  dressing  a  gun-shot  wound." 

"  Reckon  I  will.  Most  of  'em  are  wounded  in 
the  legs  or  body:  they  kin  shoot  if  they  can't 
march.  Then  I  shall  be  outside;  and,  if  the 
Indians  come,  I  kin  soon  muster  the  rest." 


290  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

The  next  morning  Holdness  took  leave  of  his 
friend,  and  returned  to  tell  the  settlers  that  the 
Black  Rifle  would  be  at  the  fort  within  two  days, 
and  wanted  four  mules  or  horses  to  bring  some 
wounded  men,  and  a  spare  mule  and  pack-saddle 
to  bring  his  traps  and  ammunition. 

Will  Grant  and  Hugh  Crawford  started  with 
the  beasts,  and  in  due  time  returned,  bringing 
with  them  the  wounded  men. 

These  men  were  of  the  same  stamp  as  Holdness 
and  Ned  Rangely ;  rude  in  speech,  but  honest, 
honorable,  simple-hearted  as  children,  and  kindly 
disposed  to  all  men  except  Indians. 

Two  of  them,  John  Lovell  and  Dennis  Morton, 
were  wounded  in  the  breast ;  Ridgway  in  the  left 
arm ;  Thomas  Bracket  and  Robert  Tysdale,  the 
former  in  the  thigh,  and  the  latter  in  the  right 
leg  below  the  knee,  and  could  walk  with  a  cane  : 
either  of  them  could  shoot  through  a  loop-hole, 
and  both  were  recovering  rapidly. 

In  the  afternoon  of  the  second  day,  the  Black 
Rifle  came,  and  built  his  camp  between  the  fort 
and  the  river. 

It  is  perhaps  needless  to  observe,  that  at  the 
arrival  of  the  Black  Rifle  and  his  men,  the  mar- 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  291 

tial  spirit  of  the  "  Screeching  Catamounts  "  arose 
to  fever-heat. 

Capt.  Sam  Sumerford  forgot  his  pots  and  pitch^ 
ers ;  and  the  potter's  wheel  stood  still.  The  toma- 
hawks and  scalping-knives  that  had  been  devoted 
to  the  peaceful  purpose  of  cutting  clay  were 
ground,  rifles  cleaned,  and  he  went  tearing  through 
the  house,  wanting  his  mother  to  spin  him  a  bow- 
string, sew  the  eagle's  feathers  into  his  cap,  wash 
his  hunting-shirt,  and  do  twenty  things  all  at 
once. 

"I  declare,  Sammy  Sumerford's  come  back 
again.  I  did  hope  I  was  done  with  knives,  toma- 
hawks, and  Indian  fightin'." 

"  I'm  sure,  mother,  I  don't  know  to  please  you. 
You  wanted  the  Indian  war  to  be  over,  'cause  it 
worried  you  to  see  me  so  full  of  fighting ;  and  then 
when  the  Indians  held  off  a  little,  you  was  worried 
about  the  water  and  the  raft  and  the  wild  beasts. 
Then  I  went  to  making  pots,  and  it  was  first-rate 
for  a  little  while ;  but  you  soon  began  to  worry 
again,  'cause  I  was  so  still,  and  didn't  seem  nat- 
'ral,  and  tear  round  and  yell.  And  now  I'm  nat- 
'ral  again,  you  don't  like  that  nuther." 

The  ground  of  all  this  excitement  was,  that  in 


202  FOKEST   GLEN;    OR, 

expectation  of  being  called  to  defend  the  fort,  and 
on  account  of  the  arrival  of  the  Black  Rifle,  (.'apt. 
Sunierford  was  preparing  to  muster  his  men  for 
drill  and  ball-practice,  that  had  been  neglected  of 
late. 

Having  set  up  a  target,  he  was  drilling  his  com- 
pany before  the  fort,  Scip  beating  the  drum,  and 
Cal  Holdness  playing  the  fife. 

A  great  part  of  the  male  portion  of  the  settlers 
were  looking  on,  the  women  being  too  much  occu- 
pied in  preparations  for  the  departure  of  the  for- 
mer to  be  present.  The  wounded  men  also  were 
seated  among  the  rest,  when  the  Black  Rifle  him- 
self came  along,  with  his  hands  full  of  beaver- 
traps  for  Honeywood  to  mend,  and  on  his  way  to 
the  blacksmith's  shop. 

You  may  be  assured  the  "Screeching  Cata- 
mounts "  did  their  best  in  such  august  presence ; 
and  their  hearts  beat  high. 

The  Black  Rifle  and  his  men  were  loud  in  their 
expressions  of  surprise  and  approbation.  The 
captain  then  drew  up  his  men  to  fire  at  the  target 
two  hundred  yards  distant. 

"I  wouldn't  have  believed,"  said  Capt.  Jack, 
"  that  these  children,  as  you  must  needs  call  'em, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  293 

could  shoot  so.  Why,  the  red-coats  in  the  army, 
and  half  the  soldiers  in  the  forts  along  the  fron- 
tier, can't  begin  with  'em." 

"We've  burnt  a  good  deal  of  powder,  used  a 
good  deal  of  lead,  teaching  them,  and  sometimes 
when  we  didn't  know  how  to  spare  it,"  said  Mc- 
Clure. 

"  Not  a  kernel  of  powder  nor  an  ounce  of  lead 
has  been  wasted:  you  may  be  sure  of  that." 

He  was,  if  possible,  more  surprised  when  they 
were  exercised  in  throwing  the  tomahawk,  shoot- 
ing with  bow  and  arrow,  and  imitating  the  voices 
of  beasts  and  birds.  There  was  scarcely  any 
thing  they  could  not  imitate,  from  the  chirrup  of 
the  cricket  to  the  scream  of  an  eagle,  except  the 
grum  notes  of  the  bull-frog :  their  voices  were 
too  shrill  for  that. 

"  This,"  said  the  Black  Rifle,  "  is  the  best  of  all, 
—  even  beats  the  shooting  with  rifles :  'cause  it 
requires  judgment  that  you  wouldn't  expect  in  so 
young  persons,  to  throw  the  tomahawk,  or  shoot 
with  a  bow." 

"  I  never  was  in  this  clearing  afore,"  said  Wil- 
liam Blythe,  one  of  the  three  men  who  came  with 
the  captain ;  "  but,  if  these  are  the  children,  what 
must  the  men  be  like  ?" 


294  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

CARRYING  THE  WAR  INTO   AFRICA. 

THE  settlers  now  removed  their  families  into 
the  fort  preparatory  to  the  departure  of  the 
volunteers.  The  Black  Rifle  had  sent  them,  by 
Grant  and  Crawford,  a  large  quantity  of  powder 
and  lead ;  and,  on  the  night  that  the  last  family 
moved  into  the  fort,  four  more  of  the  Black  Rifle's 
men  came,  having  finished  up  their  work. 

These  men  brought  word  that  eight  or  ten  more 
would  be  along  in  a  few  days,  and  said  that  their 
purpose  was  to  get  ready  for  their  fall  hunt,  and 
ambush  the  Indians  who  were  going  back  and 
forth  between  the  Ohio  and  the  older  settlements; 
making  the  fort  their  headquarters,  and  always 
leaving  men  enough  to  defend  it. 

Hearing  this,  the  settlers  resolved  to  march  in 
a  body  the  next  morning,  young  and  old. 

Rogers,  who  had  cut  himself   so  badly  with  an 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  295 

axe  that  he  could  not  engage  in  the  last  conflict 
with  the  Indians,  was  now  able  to  go.  Mr.  Seth, 
however,  objected  to  this.  "  Neighbors,"  said  he, 
"  you  all  know  I'm  no  fighting  man,  don't  pretend 
to  be ;  and  yet  you're  kind  enough  to  say  that  I'm 
of  some  benefit." 

"  Benefit !  "  exclaimed  Holdness,  "  there's  no 
man  among  us  who's  so  great  a  benefit." 

"  Well,  then,  I  hope  you'll  be  patient  with  me 
when  I  say  that  I  can't  feel  reconciled  to  have 
Israel  go.  We've  never  been  separated,  and  I've 
always  kind  of  leaned  on  him.  I  don't  know 
what  I  should  do  without  him :  I  should  neither 
eat,  sleep,  nor  take  one  moment's  peace." 

"  Then  I  won't  go,  brother,  though  I  do  want  to 
more'n  ever  I  wanted  to  go  anywhere  in  my  life." 

"  I  think,"  said  McClure,  "  that  there  ought  to 
be  more'n  one  stay :  there  are  the  cattle  and  hogs 
to  see  to,  and  many  things  that  the  rangers  don't 
know  any  thing  about  to  be  done,  though  I  don't 
suppose  any  of  us  cares  to  be  the  one  to  stay 
behind." 

Every  preparation  being  completed,  the  volun- 
teers set  out  the  next  morning  for  the  rendezvous. 

After  their  departure  the  children  were  some- 


296  FOREST   GLEN;    OK, 

what  restrained  in  their  rambles,  and  Sammy  expe- 
rienced a  severe  relapse  of  the  pottery-fever.  He 
also  found  less  difficulty  in  obtaining  the  help  of 
the  others  to  work  his  clay :  besides,  the  useful- 
ness of  hi&  work  had  been  recognized  by  every  one 
in  the  Run ;  and,  when  the  boys  were  unwilling  to 
assist,  Israel  Blanchard  Avould  let  him  have  Scip, 
who  was  worth  more  than  all  the  others  put  to- 
gether. 

Ike  Proctor  was  the  laziest,  and  least  inclined 
to  help,  of  any  of  the  boys.  Sammy  hired  him 
to  turn  the  wheel  half  a  day  for  some  maple-sugar 
and  two  bullets.  Ike  eat  the  sugar,  pocketed  the 
bullets,  worked  about  an  hour,  and  then  went  off. 
Sammy  said  nothing,  and  manifested  no  feeling  in 
regard  to  the  affair ;  but,  as  soon  as  Ike  left,  went 
to  the  river,  obtained  a  little  of  the  elay  that 
was  strongly  impregnated  with  iron,  worked  and 
kneaded  it,  working  in  some  red  ochre  to  raise  the 
color  still  more,  and  made  some  clay  doughnuts 
precisely  the  shape  of  those  his  mother  was  accus- 
tomed to  make  of  dough,  and  baked  them. 

After  several  days  had  passed,  he  told  Ike  if  he 
would  help  him  half  a  day,  and  stick  to  it,  when 
the  work  was  done  he  would  give  him  a  dozen 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  297 

doughnuts  and  four  gun-flints,  boughten  ones ;  and 
to  this  Proctor  agreed. 

When  the  time  was  up,  Sam  gave  him  the  flints, 
and  went  to  the  fort  for  the  doughnuts,  that  he 
had  given  his  mother  a  charge  to  keep  hot  in  the 
Dutch  oven,  and  put  a  little  lard  on  them.  Sam- 
my took  the  clay  doughnuts  in  a  cloth,  and  when 
warm  and  greasy  they  looked  precisely  like  the 
real  ones :  he  took  one  flour  doughnut  in  his 
pocket.  He  spread  them  out  on  the  table  before 
Ike,  and  clapped  the  one  from  his  pocket  into  his 
mouth,  saying,  "  Eat  'em,  Ike,  while  they're  hot : 
only  see  how  hot  they  be." 

"  So  they  be,"  said  Ike,  taking  one  in  his  hand : 
he  attempted  to  bite  it,  burnt  his  tongue,  and  the 
tears  came  into  his  eyes.  He  threw  the  hot  brick 
down  in  a  great  rage,  and  began  throwing  the 
others  at  Sammy's  head.  The  latter  retreated  to 
the  trough  that  was  two-thirds  full  of  soft  clay 
trodden  only  the  day  before,  and  returned  the 
attack  with  right  good-will  in  a  most  generous 
manner.  He  plastered  Ike  from  head  to  foot, 
filled  his  eyes,  nose,  and  mouth  full;  and  he  was 
glad  to  make  his  escape.  The  boys  all  said  Sam 
served  him  right,  and  they  nicknamed  him  "  Douyli- 
nut." 


298  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

It  was  very  seldom  that  there  was  ever  any  fall- 
ing-out among  these  frontier-boys,  who  were,  in 
general,  a  band  of  brothers,  for  the  reason  that 
they  had  fighting  enough  outside,  and  the  pressure 
kept  them  together. 

Uncle  Seth  was  now  in  the  best  of  spirits,  hav- 
ing the  society  of  his  brother,  in  whose  courage 
and  sagacity  he  placed  implicit  confidence,  with 
the  Black  Rifle  and  his  men  to  protect  them ;  and 
he  resolved  to  make  Sammy  a  foot-wheel,  and  thus 
render  him  independent  of  his  mates  and  all 
others  as  far  as  turning  the  wheel  was  concerned. 

Guarded  by  two  of  the  rangers,  he  went  into 
the  woods  to  find  a  tree  that  grew  of  the  right 
shape  to  make  a  crank.  You  may  think  it  would 
be  impossible  to  find  a  tree  trunk  or  limb  that 
would  answer,  as  it  must  be  a  double  crank  with  a 
short  turn,  the  sides  not  more  than  three  inches 
apart.  He  could  have  sawed  it  out  of  a  plank,  or 
made  it  in  pieces ;  but  in  the  one  case  it  would 
have  been  cut  directly  across  the  grain,  and  in  the 
other  would  have  been  without  much  strength 
and  very  clumsy.  He  wanted  to  find  a  tree  the 
grain  of  which  grew  in  the  right  direction.  No 
wonder  Mr.  Seth  declared,  —  when  he  thought 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  299 

Sammy's  pottery-fever  would  not  last  long,  and 
wanted  to  get  rid  of  his  teasing,  —  that  it  was  im- 
possible to  make  a  crank  without  iron.  But  he 
was  now  disposed  to  make  the  attempt ;  and  you 
know,  if  Uncle  Seth  undertakes  to  do  any  tiling, 
it  will  be  done. 

The  rangers  who  were  with  him  expected  to  see 
him  looking  up  into  the  tops  of  the  trees,  among 
the  limbs ;  but  instead  of  that  they  were  aston- 
ished to  see  him  running  about  with  his  eyes  fas- 
tened on  the  butts  of  the  trees,  and  never  bestow- 
ing a  glance  at  the  limbs. 

"  You  hunting  after  a  bear's  den,  or  a  coon- 
hole  ?  "  said  Will  Blythe. 

Mr.  Seth  made  no  reply,  but  stopped  before 
a  sugar-tree  about  fifteen  inches  through,  and 
straight  as  a  candle.  From  one  side  of  this  tree, 
about  two  feet  from  the  ground,  protruded  a  great 
whorl,  not  flattened  on  the  top  as  they  often  are, 
like  a  wart  on  the  hand,  but  thimble-shaped. 

"  That's  the  time  of  day,"  said  he.  Stripping 
to  the  waist,  he  soon  cut  the  tree  down,  arid 
junked  it  off,  —  twent}r  feet  of  it.  This  was  hauled 
to  the  fort,  where  the  saw-pit  was  ;  and  the  broth- 
ers cut  the  whole  tree  into  three-inch  plank,  as 


300  KOKKST    GLEX;    OR, 

they  wanted  part  of  it  for  another  purpose.  They 
arranged  their  saw-kerfs  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
bring  the  centre  of  the  whorl  in  the  plank  of 
which  the  spindle  and  crank  were  to  be  made. 
This  plank  they  cut  to  the  length  desired,  and 
then  split  it  the  other  way,  leaving  a  strip  four 
inches  in  width,  and  the  whorl  being  on  the  out- 
side edge  of  it. 

In  this  whorl  Mr.  Seth  cut  the  turn  of  his 
crank;  and  it  was  strong  because  the  principal 
part  of  the  grain  grew  in  that  direction,  being 
looped  around  the  whorl ;  and  in  other  portions  it 
crossed  every  way,  twisted  in  and  out,  was  clung, 
and  looked  much  like  the  grain  of  a  nutmeg. 
After  roughing  it  out,  he  laid  it  up  to  season,  in 
order  that  he  might  smooth  it  up.  Tysdale,  who 
chanced  to  pass  just  as  he  finished  working  on  it, 
said,  — 

"  If  that  ain't  one  way  to  make  a  crank ! " 

"  Isn't  it  a  good  way  ?  " 

"  Good  way,  sartain ;  but  a  man  must  be  born 
in  the  woods  to  think  of  that." 

"  I  was  born  in  the  woods,  and  have  worked  in 
the  woods  most  of  the  time  since  I  was  born." 

He  now  made  a  wheel  three  feet  in  diameter, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  301 

with  rim  and  hub  and  but  four  spokes,  finished  up 
his  crank,  put  the  wheel  on  the  bottom  of  it,  and 
attached  a  treadle  to  the  crank,  so  that  it  could  be 
turned  with  the  foot,  and  placed  in  the  bench. 
On  the  upper  end  of  the  crank,  he  cut  a  screw- 
thread  ;  and  got  out,  from  the  same  plank  that 
furnished  the  crank,  three  circles  of  different  sizes, 
on  which  large  or  small  pots  might  be  made,  and 
cut  a  screw-thread  in  the  centre  of  each  one,  so 
that  they  could  be  put  on  or  taken  from  the  crank 
easily.  This  was  not  all.  He  was  no  mean  black- 
smith. He  found,  among  the  guns  last  taken  from 
the  Indians,  one  of  which  the  barrel  was  good  for 
nothing ;  and,  going  into  the  blacksmith-shop,  he 
made  a  gudgeon  for  the  lower  end  of  the  crank, 
and  an  iron  socket  for  it  to  run  in.  He  also 
bushed  the  hole  in  the  bench,  where  the  crank- 
spindle  passed  through,  with  horn,  which  made  it 
run  much  more  easily. 

Thus  Sammy  had  a  potter's  wheel  at  last,  whicli 
he  could  use  alone,  and  on  whicli  he  could  turn 
pots  of  the  largest  size. 

Was  he  not  a  happy  boy  !  and  didn't  he  hug, 
praise,  and  thank  Uncle  Seth ! 

He   had,  in  his  practice,  accumulated  a  large 


302  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

number  of  little  pots  at  the  Cuthbert  house. 
They  were  too  small  to  be  of  much  use ;  and  he 
was  by  no  means  satisfied  with  the  workmanship, 
as  he  found  he  could  do  much  better  work  with 
his  wheel :  so  he  flung  them  all  into  the  trough, 
put  water  on  them,  and  made  them  into  dough 
again  ;  this  being  one  advantage  a  potter  has  over 
other  mechanics,  —  if  he  makes  a  blunder,  he  has 
not  destroyed  his  material,  but  can  work  it  over. 

Sammy  now,  instead  of  making  a  great  number 
of  vessels,  endeavored  to  improve  the  quality  of 
his  wares,  and  turned  milk-pans  on  this  wheel 
with  the  greatest  ease.  It  also  required  much 
time  to  bake  them ;  for,  though  he  had  enlarged 
his  kiln,  it  was  still  quite  small ;  and  he  began  to 
think  about  trying  to  make  brick,  and  building 
such  a  one  as  he  had  heard  Mr.  Seth  say  the 
potters  had.  Thus  one  invention,  like  one  sin, 
necessitates  another.  Finding,  however,  that  he 
had  already  supplied  the  settlement  with  pots  and 
pans  sufficient  to  last  them  a  long  time,  he  con- 
cluded to  defer  that  enterprise  for  the  present. 

Children  have  little  idea  of  the  anxieties  of 
their  parents ;  and  while  they  had  not  the  least 
doubt  but  Col.  Armstrong  and  his  men  would  lick 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  803 

all  the  Indians  on  the  Ohio  (for  three  hundred 
men  seemed  an  immense  force  to  them,  enough  to 
overcome  any  number  of  Indians),  their  parents 
knew  the  object  would  not  be  attained  without 
loss ;  and  none  knew  but  they  might  be  called  to 
mourn  the  loss  of  friends. 

Two  of  the  rangers  went  to  McDowell's  mill, 
and  learned  that  the  force  had  left  the  beaver- 
dams,  which  place  was  well  on  their  way,  and  that 
the  matter  must  be  decided  one  way  or  the  other 
very  soon. 

A  few  days  after,  they  went  again,  and  brought 
word  that  there  was  no  doubt  but  Col.  Armstrong 
had  surprised  the  Indian  town,  killed  a  good  many 
of  them,  and  burnt  up  their  log  houses.  There 
was  a  flying  report  that  Col.  Armstrong  was 
killed,  Lieut.  Hogg  and  several  men  killed,  and 
some  wounded,  but  that  the  loss  had  not  been 
severe. 

After  a  week  of  agonizing  suspense,  the  settlers 
were  roused  at  midnight  by  the  report  of  a  rifle, 
and,  turning  out  in  expectation  of  an  attack,  found 
the  whole  party,  with  the  exception  of  Honey- 
wood,  at  the  gate;  not  a  man  among  them  hurt, 
though  several  had  bullets  shot  through  their 


804  FCVREST   GLEN;     OR, 

clothes,  and  McClure's  rifle  had  been  struck  and 
chipped  by  a  ball.  Never  had  the  Wolf  Run  set* 
tiers  come  out  of  an  Indian  light  before,  without 
more  serious  consequences.  They  informed  those 
at  home  that  they  found  the  Indians  in  log  houses 
that  were  loop-holed  and  well  prepared  for  de- 
fence. In  these  houses  they  had  stored  a  great 
quantity  of  powder,  enough,  as  the  Indians  boast- 
ed, to  last  them  ten  years,  that  had  been  given 
them  by  the  French ;  and  they  were  then  prepar- 
ing to  attack  Fort  Shirley,  aided  by  French  officers 
and  soldiers. 

Capt.  Jacobs,  the  great  war-chief  of  the  Indians, 
was  killed ;  and  many  of  them,  refusing  quarter, 
•were  burned  and  blown  up  in  their  houses. 

"  When  did  you  see  my  husband  last?  and  how 
came  you  to  be  separated  from  him?  "said  Mrs. 
Honeywood. 

"  When  we  came  within  a  few  miles  of  the  In- 
dian town,"  said  Holdness,  "  he  and  Rangely  were 
sent  out  to  scout,  and  discovered  three  Indians 
round  a  fire.  Col.  Armstrong  didn't  want  to  mo- 
lest these  Indians,  for  fear  of  alarming  the  town : 
so  he  ordered  Lieut.  Hogg  with  twelve  men, 
among  whom  was  your  husband  and  Rangely,  to 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  305 

keep  watch  of  'em  while  he  went  forward  to  the 
town  with  the  main  body,  with  orders  to  fall  upon 
these  Indians  at  daybreak,  at  which  time  he  would 
attack  the  Indian  village.  The  lieutenant  obeyed 
orders,  killed  three  of  them  at  the  first  fire,  when 
it  turned  out  that  instead  of  three  there  were 
twenty-four,  the  rest  lying  in  the  woods." 

"  What  were  those  Indians  about  there  ?  "  said 
Blanchard. 

"  They  were  an  advance  party,  on  their  way  to 
Fort  Shirley.  They  killed  Rangely  and  three 
more,  mortally  wounded  the  lieutenant,  and  forced 
the  rest  to  retreat." 

"  How  did  you  know  this  ?  " 

"  We  got  it  from  a  party  who  separated  from 
the  rest  after  the  action,  and  found  the  lieutenant 
lying  wounded  on  the  ground  alone,  and  the 
bodies  of  those  who  had  been  killed  lying  around 
him.  Your  husband  was  not  among  the  killed; 
no  one  knew  any  thing  about  him  ;  and  we  reck- 
oned he  had  retreated  with  the  others,  and  we 
should  find  him  at  the  beaver-dams,  or  on  the 
road ;  and,  not  finding  him  at  either  place,  made 
up  our  minds,  that,  having  found  out  the  Indians 
were  licked,  he  had  taken  the  shortest  cut  through 


306  FOREST    GLEX;    Oil, 

the  woods  for  the  Run ;  and  "spec-ted  ter  find  him 
here  afore  us." 

This  force  having  been  raised  for  the  sole  pur- 
pose of  capturing  the  Indian  village,  their  obliga- 
tions ended  with  the  accomplishment  of  that 
object.  At  first  they  had  no  serious  anxiety  in 
respect  to  Honeywood.  Holdness  and  McClure 
knew  that  his  body  had  not  been  found,  though 
the  woods  had  been  thoroughly  searched.  They 
did  not  believe  that  when  the  Indians  must  have 
known  by  the  firing,  that  their  village  was  at- 
tacked by  a  strong  force,  they  would  encumber 
themselves  with  a  prisoner,  but,  if  they  had  taken 
him,  would  have  killed  and  scalped  him.  But 
when  day  after  day  passed  away,  and  they  heard 
that  other  stragglers  had  returned,  and  Honey- 
wood  came  not,  the  alarm  was  universal ;  and 
they  knew  that  he  was  a  captive  to  the  Indians. 

It  was  then  manifest  how  much  Honeywood 
was  beloved  and  respected.  Every  man  was  Avill- 
ing  to  encounter  any  danger  to  rescue  him ;  and 
even  the  children  could  find  no  heart  to  play,  and 
burst  into  tears  when  they  found  he  was  a  captive. 

The  Black  Rifle  and  three  of  his  men  went  in 
one  direction ;  Harry  Sumerford,  Ned  Armstrong, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  807 

and  Cal  Holdness,  in  another ;  and  Israel  Blanch- 
ard,  McClure,  and  Holdness,  in  still  another, — 
in  order  to  lurk  around  the  Indian  villages  and 
camping-places,  to  find  where  he  was  held  captive, 
that  they  might  attempt  either  rescue  or  ransom. 

But  all  their  efforts  were  fruitless :  because,  as 
was  afterwards  known,  the  party  who  had  cap- 
tured Honey  wood,  finding  their  town  attacked  by 
so  large  a  force,  fled  with  their  prisoner  across  the 
Alleghany  and  into  the  territories  of  the  Six 
Nations,  where  only,  after  the  first  alarm  created 
by  Armstrong's  attack,  they  could  feel  secure. 

It  was  a  gloomy  period  at  the  Run,  when  one 
party  after  another  would  come  in  without  tidings. 

"  If,"  said  Mrs.  Sumerford,  "  the  Almighty  ever 
did  hear  prayer  for  any  thing  or  any  body,  and  I 
know  he  has  and  does,  he  will  for  this  good  man : 
he'll  never  let  those  savages  torture  their  best 
friend." 

"  He  permitted  the  Jews  to  torture  the  Saviour, 
their  best  friend,"  replied  Mrs.  Honey  wood.  "  We 
have  no  right  to  say  what  God  in  his  wisdom  will 
or  will  not  permit ;  but,  if  £he  Indians  tie  him  to 
the  stake,  I  believe  he  will  enable  him  to  bear  it, 
and  will  support  me  likewise." 


308  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"  The  church,"  said  Mrs.  Sumerford,  "  prayed 
for  Peter,  and  the  Lord  sent  his  angel :  perhaps 
he  will  hear  our  prayers  for  him." 

These  good  women  then  resolved  they  would 
meet  every  afternoon  in  the  schoolhouse,  and 
pray. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  309 


CHAPTER   XXIII. 
THE  QUAKER'S  APPEAL  TO  THE  DELAWARES. 

HONEYWOOD  and  Rangely,  maintaining 
their  ground  while  their  comrades  retreat- 
ed, were  thus  left  alone ;  and,  being  surrounded 
by  savages,  Rangely  was  killed,  and  Honeywood, 
wounded  severely  in  the  breast,  was  taken  pris- 
oner. 

The  Delawares  knew  Honeywood  well :  among 
them  were  some  of  those  who  were  present  when 
he  shot  the  savage  who  held  Sam  Sumerford  in 
his  arms,  without  hurting  the  boy.  They  imme- 
diately painted  his  face  black,  thus  signifying  that 
he  was  to  be  reserved  for  torture.  Greatly  elated 
with  their  prize,  they  treated  him  with  the  utmost 
kindness,  and  carried  him  the  greater  part  of  the 
way  to  a  Delaware  camping-ground  on  a  litter. 
Upon  arriving  at  their  place  of  destination,  they 
exerted  all  their  skill  to  heal  his  wounds,  and 


310  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

restore  his  strength,  in  order  that  he  might  be 
able  longer  to  endure  the  tortures  they  intended 
to  inflict  upon  so  brave  a  man  and  dreaded  enemy. 

The  victim  was  too  well  acquainted  with  Indian 
customs  and  character  'to  be  ignorant  of  the 
designs  of  his  captors ;  but  hope  lingers  long  in 
the  human  breast,  and  he  was  not  without  some ' 
slight  expectation  that  his  friend  Wasaweela  might 
be  able  to  help  him.  He  was  not  aware  that  the 
generous  Mohawk  had  fallen  (soon  after  he  gave 
the  warning  to  the  settlers  at  the  Run)  in  a  battle 
with  the  southern  Indians  who  had  trespassed 
upon  the  hunting-grounds  of  the  Six  Nations. 

Among  the  savages  who  captured  Honeywood, 
was  one  who  had  often  been  to  the  shop  of  Clav- 
ell  in  Baltimore,  of  whom  the  captive  had  learned 
his  trade ;  and  he  had  several  times  repaired  the 
rifle  and  traps  of  this  savage  free  of  charge,  and 
invited  him  to  spread  his  blanket  on  the  hearth. 
On  the  march  this  savage  showed  much  kindness 
to  his  former  benefactor,  often  gave  him  food  from 
his  own  store  that  was  scanty,  and  would  proba- 
bly have  aided  him  to  escape  if  he  could ;  but  the 
day  before  they  reached  their  place  of  destination, 
a  Delaware  encampment  in  the  territory  of  the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  311 

Six  Nations,  he  told  Honeywood,  evidently  with 
sorrow,  that  his  people  would  burn  him,  because 
he  had  struck  them  very  hard,  and  killed  many  of 
their  young  men,  and  was  a  great  brave.  He 
then  exhorted  him  to  be  strong,  and  to  let  it  be 
known,  by  the  courage  with  which  he  endured  the 
torture,  that  he  was  a  great  warrior. 

Thrown  upon  the  world  in  childhood,  the  mind 
of  Honeywood  was  of  the  firmest  texture,  and  he 
had  often  been  called  to  face  death.  But  he  was 
in  the  prime  of  early  manhood,  a  loving,  kind 
hearted  man  ;  and  it  was  bitter  to  die  under  such 
horrible  tortures  as  savage  ingenuity  alone  could 
devise.  He  thought  of  his  home,  the  acres  he  had 
toiled  so  hard  to  win  and  defend ;  his  wife  and 
little  ones ;  his  neighbors,  young  men  and  chil 
dren,  respecting  whose  improvement,  both  mental 
and  moral,  he  had  cherished  so  many  hopes,  and 
devised  so  many  plans  to  be  carried  into  effect 
when  the  Indian  war  should  end,  of  which  there 
was  now  a  probability. 

Honeywood  was  not  only  a  man  of  iron  nerve 
and  unflinching  courage,  but  he  was  a  good  man  : 
he  lived  in  constant  intercourse  with  God.  In  his 
boyhood,  while  one  of  the  household  of  Henry 


312  FOREST   GLEX;    OR, 

Clavell,  he  had  been  deeply  interested  in  religious 
truths. 

The  instructions  of  Mrs.  Raymond,  a  Quaker- 
ess, and  the  housekeeper  of  his  master,  had  fallen 
upon  willing  ears  and  a  tender  conscience  ;  and 
the  great  sorrow  of  his  youth,  the  death  of  his 
benefactor,  had  completed  the  work;  and  from 
his  Father  in  heaven  he  sought  for  strength  to 
die,  not  with  the  sullen  stoicism  of  the  red  man, 
but  with  the  faith  and  resignation  of  a  Christian. 

His  wounds  were  now  healed,  and  his  strength 
restored ;  his.  captors,  having  treated  his  injuries 
with  great  skill,  fed  him  upon  the  best  of  provis- 
ions, game  being  plenty,  and  treated  him  with  all 
the  kindness  consistent  with  safe-keeping.  The 
war-parties  sent  out  in  different  directions  had 
come  in,  as  also  the  fugitives  who  had  escaped 
from  Armstrong  at  Kittanning. 

One  of  those  parties  brought  with  them  two 
white  captives,  —  one  a  Scotchman  by  the  name  of 
McAlpine,  and  the  other  a  German,  Luke  Bogar- 
dus,  —  and  a  great  number  of  scalps. 

These  scalping-parties  were  received  by  the  In- 
dians with  great  rejoicings.  They  instantly  made 
a  feast,  hud  an  Indian  scalp-dance,  and  resolved 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  313 

to  put  Honeywood  and  the  other  captives  to  the 
torture,  as  an  offering  to  appease  the  spirits 
of  their  warriors  who  had  been  slain  at  Kittan- 
ning,  and  more  especially  of  the  great  number 
that  had  fallen  by  the  hands  of  the  settlers  at 
Wolf  Run.  Upon  Honeywood,  therefore,  these 
demons  in  human  form  resolved  to  inflict  the  most 
horrible  torments,  made  familiar  by  long  practice 
and  taught  by  the  traditions  of  their  savage  ances- 
tors. Could  they  but  make  him  cry  like  a  woman, 
their  hearts  would  thrill  with  joy.  With  this  end 
in  view  they  had  healed  his  wounds,  and  done 
all  in  their  power  to  restore  him  to  health  and 
strength ;  and  now  the  hour  of  vengeance  had 
come.  The  prisoners  were  now  brought  out,  and 
fastened  to  small  trees  by  hide  ropes  of  such  a 
length  as  to  permit  them  to  run  round  the  trees 
when  the  flames  began  to  scorch  them,  and  by 
their  convulsive  motions  afford  amusement  to 
their  tormentors.  The  squaws  and  children  were 
building  fires  at  a  little  distance,  at  which  to  heat 
gun-barrels  and  ramrods  to  be  thrust  into  the 
bodies  of  the  prisoners  after  they  had  been 
partially  roasted  by  the  fire  built  around  them. 
Others  were  splitting  up  little  slivers  of  pitch-wood 


314  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

to  be  run  into  their  flesh,  and  set  on  fire ;  some 
were  filling  the  quills  of  turkeys  with  powder,  to 
be  used  in  a  similar  way,  and  then  touched  with 
fire. 

While  these  fearful  preparations  were  going 
on,  Isetaune,  the  friendly  savage  referred  to,  un- 
willing to  witness  the  suffering  of  one  who  had 
bestowed  favors  upon  him,  retired  to  the  forest, 
where  he  was  suddenly  confronted  by  Ephraim 
Cuthbert,  accompanied  by  Mrs.  liaymond,  who 
were  instantly  recognized  by  the  Indian.  Cuth- 
bert, to  whom  the  Delaware  language  was  as 
familiar  as  his  mother  tongue,  communicated  to 
the  astonished  Isetaune  his  errand,  who,  whatever 
he  might  have  felt,  betrayed  no  emotion,  but 
turned  back  with  these  unexpected  guests. 

An  old  squaw  was  approaching  McAlpine  with 
a  birch  dish  full  of  splinters  of  pitch-wood ;  and 
boys  were  following  her  with  fire-brands  to  light 
them.  An  Indian  had  just  drawn  a  red-hot  gun- 
barrel  from  the  fire,  with  which  to  torment  Bogar- 
dus. 

When  Ephraim  and  his  companions  appeared, 
their  Quaker  dress,  and  mild,  passionless  features, 
in  strange  contrast  with  the  grim  forms  of  those 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  315 

naked  and  infuriated  demons,  the  astonished  sav- 
ages dropped  their  instruments  of  torture ;  and, 
recognizing  the  well-known  garb,  ever  associated 
in  their  minds  with  justice  and  brotherly  love, 
appreciated  at  its  full  value  the  confidence  which 
had  impelled  these  wayfarers,  unarmed  and  un- 
announced, to  trust  themselves  to  the  red  man  in 
his  haunts ;  and  they  hastened  to  show  that  it 
was  not  misplaced. 

A  number  of  the  more  elderly  Indians  and 
principal  warriors  were  seated  in  a  position  where 
they  could  command  the  best  view  both  of  the 
captives  and  their  tormentors ;  and,  riding  up 
directly  in  front  of  them,  Ephraim  and  his  com- 
panion halted. 

Honeywood  in  a  moment  recognized  the  persons 
of  Cuthbert  and  Mrs.  Raymond,  though  they 
passed  along  without  even  glancing  at  him.  The 
color  came  to  his  cheek,  his  eyes  moistened,  and 
he  looked  up  in  gratitude  to  heaven,  though  he 
might  well  doubt  the  success  of  the  mission  upon 
which  he  knew  his  friends  had  come. 

Amid  a  silence  so  profound  that  the  crackling 
of  the  fires  kindled  to  heat  the  instruments  of 
torture  were  distinct^  heard,  an  aged  Delaware 


316  FOREST  GLEN;  OR, 

came  forward,  and,  extending  his  hand  to  Cuth- 
bert,  greeted  him  thus  :  — 

"  My  brother  and  the  woman  are  welcome.  Is 
he  hungry?  we  will  feed  him.  Is  he  tired?  we 
will  take  him  to  our  fire,  and  spread  for  him  a 
blanket,  lias  he  lost  his  way?  we  will  put  him  in 
the  right  path.  Is  he  not  our  brother?  Cona- 
dose  has  said.'' 

A  low  murmur  of  assent  succeeded ;  and,  after 
it  had  subsided,  Cuthbert  said,  — 

"  Brother,  thy  people  have  taken  a  young  man 
from  the  Juniata.  He  is  a  just  and  brave  man. 
In  time  of  peace,  he  has  been  very  kind  to  the 
Delawares,  as  Isetaune  will  tell  you ;  and  in  war 
has  only  defended  his  lodge,  and  has  never  taken 
a  scalp.  He  is  very  dear  to  the  woman  who  is 
with  me ;  and  she  has  asked  me  to  bring  her  on 
this  long  journey,  that  she  might  look  in  the  eyes 
of  her  brothers,  and  ask  them  to  give  her  this 
man,  who  is  as  a  son." 

"  Brother,  we  believe  as  you  have  told  us,  that 
this  is  a  just  and  brave  man ;  but  he  has  struck 
our  people  very  hard,  and  will,  if  we  let  him  live, 
strike  many  more  of  them.  The  bones  of  our 
young  men  are  scattered  in  the  woods ;  the  wolves 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  317 

are  gnawing  them ;  and  their  spirits  will  complain 
if  he  should  live :  they  cry  to  us  from  the  ground 
for  his  blood.  Brother,  forget  that  you  have 
asked  us  for  that  we  could  not  grant.  This  man 
must  die." 

"  It  is  well.  Will  my  brothers  allow  the  woman 
to  speak  to  them  ?  " 

After  a  brief  consultation,  the  request  was 
granted. 

Praying  to  God  for  aid  in  this  apparently  hope- 
less effort  to  pluck  the  prey  from  the  very  jaws  of 
the  wolf,  Mrs.  Raymond  ventured  to  speak,  Cuth- 
bert  interpreting.  Not  a  word  she  uttered  was 
lost  by  Honeywood,  whose  life  depended  upon  her 
success. 

"Brothers,  I  have  lived  many  years:  you  see 
my  hair  is  white ;  and  I  have  had  many  sorrows. 
My  grandfather  was  one  of  the  men  of  peace,  who 
came  over  the  sea  with  William  Penn,  and  stood 
beside  him  when  he  met  your  fathers  at  Shacka- 
maxon. 

"  When  a  little  child,  I  have  sat  upon  his  knees, 
and  heard  him  tell  what  William  Penn  said  to  the 
Dela wares,  —  that  he  considered  them  one  flesh 
and  blood  with  his  people,  and  as  though  one 


318  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

man's  body  was  divided  in  two  parts;  and  the 
Delawares  said  that  they  would  live  in  love  and 
friendship  with  William  Penn  and  his  children  as 
long  as  the  sun  and  moon  endured." 

During  her  address,  every  trace  of  ferocity  van- 
ished from  the  features  of  the  Indians,  and  was 
replaced  by  an  expression  of  curious  interest  and 
respect. 

She  paused  a  moment  to  collect  her  thoughts, 
when  the  chief  said, — 

"  Brother,  let  the  woman  speak  on.  The  ears 
of  the  Delawares  are  open ;  and  they  desire  to 
wipe  ths  tears  from  her  eyes." 

Thus  encouraged,  she  said,  while  her  voice 
trembled  with  emotion,  — 

"•  Brothers,  I  am  told  that  it  is  a  custom  of  the 
Delawares,  handed  down  from  their  fathers,  that 
when  a  captive  is  taken,  any  who  have  lost  rela- 
tives may  take  him  for  their  own  in  the  place  of 
those  they  have  lost.  We  are  one  flesh  and  blood  : 
William  Penn  and  your  fathers  made  us  one ;  my 
father  and  your  fathers  joined  hands  in  covenant 
before  this  sun ;  and  before  this  sun  I  claim  this 
right  of  my  brothers. 

"  I  have  had  children ;  but  it  has  pleased   the 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FHIENDSHJP.  319 

Great  Spirit  to  take  them.  I  do  not  complain: 
•whatever  he  doeth  is  just.  I  wish  to  take  this  man 
to  fill  the  place  in  my  heart  left  empty  by  those  I 
have  lost.  I  ask  it  of  my  brothers,  because  we 
are  one,  like  two  parts  of  the  same  body ;  and  I 
claim  the  ancient  privilege  that  has  always  been 
granted  by  your  old  men.  Should  not  a  Delaware 
be  just? 

"  My  brother  has  said  the  spirits  of  the  slain  will 
be  angry  if  the  captive  is  let  go;  but  will  not  the 
spirits  of  the  just  and  brave  who  have  gone  to  the 
happy  hunting-grounds  grieve  and  be  angry  if 
their  children  do  not  remember  the  covenant  their 
fathers  made  at  Shackamaxon?  It  is  truly  a 
great  thing  I  have  asked  of  the  Delawares ;  but  is 
any  thing  too  good  for  a  friend  ?  Does  the  red 
man  give  to  his  friend  that  which  he  values  not, 
and  set  before  him  that  he  would  not  eat  him- 
self?" 

Mrs.  Raymond  did  not  conclude,  but  stopped, 
utterly  exhausted  by  her  efforts,  and  the  emotions 
excited  by  the  fearful  scene  before  her. 

The  Indian  councillors  were  evidently  much 
perplexed.  No  such  question  had  ever  come 
before  them.  On  one  side  was  the  desire  of 


320  FOREST    GLEN;    OR, 

revenge,  so  dear  to  a  savage ;  on  the  other,  tho 
veneration  amounting  to  idolatry,  that  all  red  men, 
and  especially  the  Del  a  wares,  cherished  for  the 
character  of  William  Penn  (for  it  was  -\vith  the 
Delawares  that  he  made  the  covenant),  and  also 
that  sense  of  justice  so  strong  in  the  Indian  mind. 

The  affectionate  and  almost  childish  confidence 
with  which  Cuthbert  and  his  companion  had  come 
to  them  was  peculiarly  adapted  to  touch  the 
hearts  of  these  untutored  children  of  the  forest. 

The  older  Indians  went  a  little  apart  from  the 
rest ;  and  hope  revived  in  the  heart  of  Honey- 
wood  when  he  perceived  them  call  Isetauue  to 
their  councils. 

After  a  short  time  spent  in  deliberation,  an 
Indian,  much  more  advanced  in  years  than  the 
first  speaker,  arose,  and  said  to  Cuthbert,  — 

"  Brother,  open  your  ears.  We  have  listened  to 
the  words  of  the  woman :  they  are  good  words ; 
such  words  as  were  never  spoken  to  the  Delawares 
before,  or  our  old  men  would  have  heard  and  told 
ns  of  them.  We  have  considered  them  well,  and 
M'e  think  the  Great  Spirit  has  sent  the  woman  to 
speak  these  good  words  in  our  ears. 

"•  For  no  reason  that  the  pale-faces  could  have 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  321 

offered  us,  would  we  let  this  man  go.  If  all  the 
governors  of  the  thirteen  fires  had  come  to  demand 
this  captive,  we  would  have  burnt  him  before 
their  eyes.  But  the  woman  and  yourself  belong 
to  William  Penn ;  you  are  one  with  us ;  and  the 
woman  asks  that  we  do  by  her  as  we  do  by  our 
own :  therefore  we  give  her  this  man,  because  we 
love  to  give  large  gifts  to  our  friends,  and  because 
it  is  just. 

"Brother,  listen!  I  have  lived  many  moons; 
many  snows  have  fallen  on  my  head ;  and  I 
remember  the  good  days  when  the  children  of 
William  Penn  were  many,  when  they  bore  rule 
at  the  council-fire,  and  those  bad  men  who  now 
have  most  to  say  were  of  small  account,  and  when 
the  red  man,  treated  justly,  was  happy ;  and, 
because  you  are  few,  our  lands  are  taken  without 
paying  for  them,  and  our  blood  is  shed.  We  do 
not  love  you  the  less  because  the  power  has  gone 
from  }•  ou :  therefore  we  give  the  life  of  this  man 
(whom  the  pale-faces  could  not  buy)  to  you,  and 
the  spirit  of  the  great  and  good  Penn. 

"  Brother,  you  have  come  to  us  when  our  hearts 
are  sore  and  our  minds  disturbed,  for  which  we 
are  sorry.  We  shall  burn  these  two  bad  men. 


322  FOREST  GLEN;   OR, 

You  would  not  wish  to  hear  their  cries,  therefore 
we  cannot  ask  you  to  spread  your  blanket  at  our 
fire  ;  but  some  of  our  young  men  will  build  3-011  a 
wigwam  in  the  woods,  and,  when  you  are  rested, 
will  guide  you  to  the  white  man's  fort  by  a  shorter 
path  than  the  one  by  which  you  came.  I  have 
said." 

Cuthbert  now  presented  his  thanks,  and  also 
those  of  Mrs.  Raymond,  to  his  brothers  the  Dela- 
wares ;  and  Isetaune,  loosing  Honeywood  from  the 
stake,  brought  him  to  Mrs.  Raymond. 

Savage  ferocity,  so  long  repressed,  now  broke 
forth  :  fires  were  rekindled,  and  yells  of  vengeance 
rent  the  air.  Cuthbert  would  gladly  have  inter- 
ceded for  the  two  other  miserable  victims,  but  he 
knew  it  would  be  of  no  avail ;  and  but  a  moment 
was  given  him  to  think  of  it,  for  with  Honeywood 
and  Mrs.  Raymond  he  was  hurried  off  to  the 
woods  by  Isetaune  and  several  others,  who  hastily 
constructed  a  shelter  of  boughs,  provided  them 
with  food,  and  then  hurried  back  to  take  part  in 
the  terrible  tortures  about  to  be  inflicted  upon 
Me  Alpine  and  Bogardus. 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  323 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

THE   RETURN   OF  THE   CAPTIVE. 

WHEN  the  Indians  had  departed,  Honey- 
wood  said  to  Mrs.  Raymond,  — 

"  Mother,  when  a  boy  under  your  care,  you 
were  the  means  of  saving  my  soul ;  and  this  day 
you  and  Friend  Cuthbert  have  saved  my  life." 

He  then  begged  to  know  in  what  way  Cuthbert 
was  informed  of  his  capture,  and  more  especially 
of  the  place  to  which  the  Indians  had  carried  him, 
as  it  was  in  the  limits  of  the  Six  Nations,  who 
had  taken  no  part  in  the  war. 

Ephraim  replied  that  the  governor  of  Pennsyl- 
vania, through  Sir  William  Johnson,  governor  of 
New  York,  who  had  great  influence  with  the  Six 
Nations,  had  endeavored  to  prevail  upon  them  to 
command  the  Delawares  to  stop  their  inroads,  and 
to  make  peace  with  the  English ;  and  for  that 
purpose  had  sent  a  delegation  to  them,  among 


324  "FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

whom  were  several  Quakers  of  his  acquaint- 
ance. 

He  then  went  on  to  say  that  the  friendship 
between  the  Indians  and  the  Quakers  had  not 
been  interrupted  in  the  least  by  the  war,  Avith 
which  (as  the  Indians  well  knew)  they  had  no 
concern  except  to  endeavor  to  prevent  it. 

After  visiting  the  Six  Nations,  those  Quakers, 
knowing  the  deep  impression  made  upon  the 
minds  of  the  Delawares  by  the  attack  of  Arm- 
strong and  the  capture  of  Kittanning,  resolved  to 
visit  the  Delaware  king  Teedyuscung ;  and  thus 
learned  of  the  capture  of  Honeywood,  and  where 
he  was,  and  that  the  Delawares  were  determined 
to  burn  him,  and  would  take  no  ransom,  for  he 
was  one  of  the  Wolf  Run  settlers,  who  were  the 
worst  enemies  they  had. 

"  I  then,''  said  Ephraim,  "  resolved  with  the 
help  of  God  to  rescue  thee,  seeing  it  was  my  duty, 
and  not  forgetful  of  thy  great  kindness  to  me 
when  I  was  thy  neighbor  at  the  Run." 

"  You  took  a  most  singular  way :  if  you  had 
sent  word  to  the  Run,  the  people  there  would 
have  rescued  me  by  force  of  arms." 

"  They  might,  and  they  might  not :  they  would 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  32o 

have  killed  many  Indians  in  doing  it,  of  which 
thou  knowest  we  do  not  approve.  I  took  the  way 
of  peace  and  righteousness,  and  thou  seest  it  has 
succeeded.  I  know  the  Indians  loved  my  people, 
and  the  memory  of  William  Penn,  though  he  has 
been  so  long  in  his  grave.  Friend  Honevwood, 
'  love  is  stronger  than  death :  many  waters  cannot 
quench  love,  neither  can  floods  drown  it.'  Thou 
knowest  we  believe  there  is  an  inward  light  in 
every  person  born  into  the  world ;  and  there  is  in 
these  poor  savages  (who  are  now  torturing  their 
prisoners,  and  would  have  tortured  thee),  but  it 
has  been  obscured  by  ages  of  ignorance  and 
superstition  :  yet  they  would  take  the  food  from 
their  mouths  to  put  into  mine,  or  any  true  fol- 
lower of  William  Penn. 

-'  Thou  knowest  how  long  a  journey  thy  mother 
and  myself  have  come  to  find  thee  ;  and  nearly 
every  day  we  met  larger  or  smaller  bands  of  Del- 
awares.  Shawanees.  Monseys.  and  Wyandottes  in 
their  war-paint,  going  after  the  scalps  of  white 
men,  to  kill  the  mother  and  the  babe  on  her 
bosom  ;  but  they  called  me  brother,  offered  me 
food,  directed  me  in  the  best  paths,  and  to  places 
where  I  could  find  grass  and  water ;  and  often 
went  manv  miles  out  of  their  wav  to  do  this." 


326  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

Honey  wood  made  no  reply.  He  could  not  accept 
the  Quaker  doctrine  of  non-resistance,  though  in 
other  respects  sympathizing  with  and  entertain- 
ing the  greatest  affection  and  respect  for  them  and 
their  principles.  While  the  light  of  the  torture- 
fires  could  be  discerned  in  the  distance,  and  the 
Indian  yells  faintly  heard,  they  knelt  in  prayer, 
and  then  retired  to  rest. 

Cuthbert  and  his  companions  would  gladly  have 
started  at  the  first  glimpse  of  day ;  but  this  would 
not  have  been  agreeable  to  Indian  customs,  that 
required  a  more  formal  leave-taking  and  an  escort 
as  a  mark  of  respect. 

Those  singularly  discordant  traits  that  go  to 
make  up  Indian  character  appeared  in  a  striking 
light  the  next  morning  when  they  were  taken  back 
to  the  encampment.  Here  they  were  received 
with  the  greatest  kindness.  A  lodge  was  placed 
at  their  disposal ;  and  they  found  a  bountiful  break- 
fast already  prepared.  The  grim  colors  of  the  war- 
paint had  disappeared  from  the  persons  of  the 
warriors,  who  had  resumed  the  grave  dignity  and 
cold  demeanor  of  an  Indian  when  in  repose.  The 
squaws,  who  the  day  before  were  foaming  at  the 
mouth  with  malignant  spite,  and  longing  to  engage 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  327 

in  the  work  of  torture,  were  quietly  pursuing 
their  household  duties ;  and  the  children  at  play. 

Some  terrible  reminders  of  what  had  taken 
place  remained,  —  the  half-burned  trees  to  which 
the  captives  had  been  fastened,  and  the  still  smok- 
ing embers.  Indian  dogs  were  gnawing  and  drag- 
ging about  the  half-burned  bones  of  the  dead, 
snarling  at  each  other,  and  fighting  for  favorite 
morsels. 

Honeywood  turned  sick  at  heart  as  he  looked 
upon  the  stake  to  which  he  had  been  fastened,  the 
wood  collected  to  burn  him,  and  the  mangled  re- 
mains of  his  fellow-captives,  whose  fate  he  had  so 
narrowly  escaped. 

Cuthbert  now  expressed  his  desire  to  depart, 
and  they  proceeded  to  take  leave  of  him. 

"  Brother,"  said  the  Indian  who  had  welcomed 
him,  "listen.  You  came  to  us  when  our  minds 
were  chafed,  and  the  spirits  of  our  dead  were  call- 
ing upon  us  to  revenge  their  blood.  We  have 
now  given  them  satisfaction :  they  will  no  longer 
complain,  but  will  rest  in  their  graves.  We  have 
wiped  the  tears  from  your  eyes,  picked  the  thorns 
from  your  legs ;  you  have  eaten  of  our  food,  spread 
your  blankets  with  us ;  and,  as  you  are  about  to 


328  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

leave  us,  we  wish  you  a  good  journey,  and  are 
glad  that  you  have  come  and  brightened  the  chain 
of  friendship.  Our  young  men  will  go  with  you, 
that  you  may  not  lose  your  way  and  come  to  harm. 
Brother,  farewell." 

Indians  never  do  any  thing^  at  the  halves. 
Honeywood's  rifle,  pack,  and  every  article,  even  to 
the ,  bullets  in  his  pouch,  and  the  powder  in  his 
horn,  were  restored ;  and  he  was  presented  with 
new  moccasons  and  leggings. 

Isetaune  and  six  Delawares  conducted  them 
to  within  four  miles  of  Fort  Shirley,  where  the 
Indians  took  leave  of  them,  Cuthbert  and  Mrs. 
Raymond  going  to  the  fort,"  and  Honeywood 
towards  the  Run  at  a  speed  that  corresponded  to 
the  emotions  swelling  in  the  breast  of  the  husband 
and  father. 

Expecting  to  find  the  settlers  in  garrison,  he 
went  directly  to  the  fort.  Passing  through  the 
Cuthbert  pasture,  he  encountered  Fan  with  three 
of  her  pups  following  the  trail  of  a  pack  of  wolves 
for  their  own  amusement.  With  the  wildest  ex- 
pression of  joy.  she  leaped  upon  her  master,  the 
pups  doing  the  same,  all  striving  to  be  the  first  to 
lick  his  face :  they  fairly  bore  him  to  the  ground, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  329 

each  one,  as  he  accomplished  his  purpose,  running 
in  a  circle  around  him. 

"  That's  a  warm  welcome,  old  friend,"  patting 
the  head  of  Fan,  as,  having  finished  her  gambol, 
she  stood  looking  in  his  face,  and  wagging  her 
tail,  as  though  she  wanted  to  speak. 

As  he  approached,  he  found  the  gates  of  the 
stockade  and  the  fort  open :  and  there  was  no 
sentry  to  be  seen  on  the  platform. 

"  The  Black  Rifle  must  be  here  still,"  he  said  to 
himself;  "or  they  would  never  leave  the  gates 
open,  and  let  down  their  watch." 

The  door  of  the  mill  was  open  ;  and  he  looked  in, 
but  saw  no  one,  for  Mr.  Seth  was  in  the  top  of  the 
building,  greasing  the  bearings  of  the  machinery. 

He  was  hurrying  to  the  block-house,  when  he 
heard  the  voice  of  his  wife  in  the  schoolhouse; 
and  entering  found  her,  Mrs.  Sumerford,  Mrs. 
Holdness,  Lucy  Mugford,  and  several  of  the  older 
girls,  at  prayer.  Prayer  was  now  turned  to  praise ; 
and  the  girls  ran  to  the  block-house  to  spread  the 
glad  tidings. 

"  The  Lord  has  sent  his  angel,  and  delivered 
Peter;  praised  be  his  name  !  "  shouted  Mrs.  Sumer- 
ford. "  Oh  the  dear  good  man ! "  and  she  fairly 
embraced  him. 


330  FOREST   GLEN  ;    OR, 

"  The  Lord  sent  two  angels,  Mrs.  Sumerford ; 
and  they  were  Ephraim  Cuthbert  and  Mrs.  Ray- 
mond. —  Where  are  the  children,  wife  ?  " 

"  Here  they  are,  coming  with  their  grandmother 
and  all  the  rest." 

The  next  moment  all  the  female  portion  of  the 
community,  and  Mr.  Seth,  were  assembled  in  the 
schoolhouse  ;  and,  after  Honeywood  had  embraced 
and  kissed  his  children,  Mr.  Seth  said,  — 

"  Neighbors,  we  have  been  in  this  place  more  or 
less  for  weeks,  praying  in  behalf  of  Mr.  Honey- 
wood;  and  those  who  were  on  the  scout  knelt 
down  in  the  wood  to  put  up  the  same  petition, 
and  the  sentry  knelt  at  midnight  on  the  platform  ; 
and  it  does  not  become  us  now  in  the  hour  of  our 
deliverance  to  forget  the  Author  of  all  our  mercies. 
I  want  Mr.  Honeywood  to  read  the  hundred  and 
sixteenth  Psalm,  and  pray ;  and  we'll  all  praise 
together." 

The  dogs  were  put  out,  and  all  seated  them- 
selves for  worship  ;  but  scarcely  had  Honeywood 
taken  the  book  in  his  hand,  than  the  old  mother 
dog  leaped  in  at  the  window,  followed  by  the 
rest. 

"Let  them  stay.     I   cannot  bear  to   shut   out 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  331 

Fan.  She  was  the  first  to  welcome  me.  The 
Lord  made  them  as  well  as  us." 

At  his  command  they  all  lay  down  around  him, 
and  remained  perfectly  quiet  during  the  worship ; 
Fan  only  lifting  her  head  once  in  a  while  to 
look  her  master  in  the  face,  and  make  sure  of  his 
presence. 

The  happy  company  retired  to  the  block-house, 
when  Honeywood  inquired  what  had  become  of 
the  men-folks  and  children. 

"  The  young  men,"  said  Uncle  Seth,  "  have  gone 
with  the  Black  Rifle  and  four  of  his  band,  to 
Loyal  Hannah,  where  they  have  heard  there  is  a 
Delaware  camp,  to  lurk  round  to  see  if  you  are 
there.  Some  are  on  the  scout.  The  rest  are  gone 
to  Mr.  Holdness's  lot  to  junk  and  pile  logs  on  a 
burn,  and  all  the  boys  are  with  'em ;  and  Joan 
Holdness's  gone  to  let  'em  know  you've  come." 

Before  Honeywood  had  finished  eating,  the  boys 
rushed  in,  having  run  all  the  way ;  and,  not  long 
after,  Holdness,  McClure,  Grant,  Stewart,  and 
Israel  Blanchard  came  in. 

Honeywood  then  gave  his  friends  a  minute 
account  of  all  that  had  happened  to  him.  When 
he  finished,  McClure  said,  — 


332  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

"It  was  not  the  memory  of  William  Penn,  nor 
what  Mrs.  Raymond  said,  that  turned  the  Indian 
from  his  purpose  when  the  captive  was  tied  to  the 
stake,  and  the  fire  lighted :  'twas  Him  who  stopped 
the  mouth  of  the  lions.  The}r  couldn't  work  their 
will,  couldn't  do  the  thing  they  wanted  to." 

"  Sinner  that  I  am,"  said  Holdness,  "  I  have 
never  yet  had  the  grace  to  seek  pardon  of  my 
Maker  for  my  many  transgressions,  much  more  of 
man ;  but,  if  I  ever  meet  Ephraim  Cuthbert  agin, 
I'll  ask  his  forgiveness  for  insulting  him,  and 
knocking  his  hat  from  his  head,  and  giving  him 
hard  words,  because  he  would  neither  fight  him- 
self, nor  pay  others  for  doing  it ;  and  you  all  know 
Ned  Honeywood  had  ter  step  between  us,  or  I 
might  have  done  worse.  Quaker  or  no  Quaker, 
he's  a  brave,  noble-hearted,  Christian  man." 

"  No  wonder  we  couldn't  find  him,"  said  Israel 
Blanchard :  "  nobody  ever  dreamed  that  they 
would  carry  him  into  the  hunting-grounds  of  the 
Six  Nations." 

"It  would  seem,"  said  Honeywood,  "that, 
though  the  Six  Nations  take  no  open  part  in  the 
war,  they  have  no  objection  to  see  it  go  on.  Many 
of  the  Delawares  have  left  their  old  men,  women, 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FBIENDSHIP.  333 

and  children,  among  the  Six  Nations,  while  the 
warriors  went  to  war ;  and  it  was  to  one  of  these 
places,  that,  after  Kittanning  was  taken,  they  car- 
ried me." 

"  To  be  sure,  they  are  willing  it  should  go  on, 
in  order  that  they  may  be  called  in  to  make  the 
Delawares  and  all  the  rest  behave,  and  have  rich 
presents  for  their  trouble;  and  that  is  what  the 
governor  is  trying  to  bring  about  now.  Better 
give  'em  a  few  more  bullets,  and  a  little  more  of 
Armstrong,"  said  McClure. 

"  There  is  no  doubt,"  said  Holdness,  "  that  the 
Six  Nations  rule  the  Delawares  and  all  the  rest 
with  a  rod  of  iron ;  and,  if  they  order  the  Dela- 
wares to  bury  the  hatchet,  they'll  have  to  do  it. 
But  it  seems  to  me  that  a  government  cuts  a  very 
mean  figure  wThen  it  goes  a-begging  to  one  por- 
tion of  these  savages,  gits  down  on  its  knees  to 
them,  and  hires  them  to  make  peace  with  another 
portion.  Rather  than  do  that,  I  would  be  willing 
to  set  out  to-morrow  on  another  expedition  into 
their  country.  A  few  more  such  raids  would 
bring  them  to  beg  for  peace,  instead  of  their  being 
hired  and  coaxed  to  agree  to  it." 

"  There's  a  great  deal  of  wholesome  truth  in 


334  FOREST   GLEN;    OR, 

what  the  Quakers  said,"  replied  Honeywood. 
"  They  told  the  government  that  the  Indian 
troubles  were  generally  settled  in  this  way.  The 
Indians  were  abused  and  exasperated  till  they 
dug  up  the  hatchet ;  and  when  the  affair  had  gone 
on  till  great  numbers  of  the  inhabitants  were 
killed,  and  a  few  of  the  savages,  the  frontiers 
depopulated,  and  the  whole  country  filled  with 
terror,  then  presents  were  made  to  the  Indians, 
a  council  held,  and  peace  confirmed.  The  Qua- 
kers, therefore,  thought  it  would  be  better  to  make 
the  presents  first,  and  dispense  with  all  the  butch- 
ery and  devastation." 

The  concluding  volume  of  this  series  —  enti- 
tled, BURYING  THE  HATCHET  ;  OR,  THE  YOUNG 
#RAVE  OF  THE  DELA WARES  —  will  clear  up  the 
mystery  connected  with  the  disappearance  of  that 
reckless  and  mischievous  urchin,  Tony  Stewart, 
and  manifest  the  effect  of  peaceful  relations  and 
pursuits  upon  the  rude  and  reckless  spirits  who 
'composed  the  majority  of  the  settlers  of  Wolf 
Run.  Hitherto  they  have  been  presented  to  us 
struggling  for  bare  existence,  in  circumstances  of 
mortal  peril,  calculated  to  develop  the  sterner 


THE  MOHAWK'S  FRIENDSHIP.  335 

passions  of  human  nature.  We  trust  they  will 
manifest  qualities  of  mind  and  heart  equally 
striking  and  admirable  when  laying  aside  the 
weapons  of  war,  to  engage  in  enterprises  of  cul- 
ture and  progress. 


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